Earthquake

2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake

On 6 February 2023, a powerful and deadly earthquake struck southern and central Turkey. It is one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in Turkish and Syrian history. It occurred 34 km (21 mi) west of the city of Gaziantep at 04:17 TRT (01:17 UTC), causing widespread damage and many fatalities in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. With a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) and a magnitude of at least Mww 7.8, the earthquake is tied with the 1939 Erzincan earthquake as the strongest recorded earthquake to hit Turkey in modern times and the deadliest earthquake to strike the country since the 1999 İzmit earthquake. The earthquake was followed by numerous aftershocks, the strongest of which had a magnitude of Mww 7.5. This aftershock occurred 9 hours later, 4 km (2.5 mi) north–northeast of Elbistan in Kahramanmaraş Province at 13:24 TRT (10:24 UTC). It also had a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX. At least 5,200 deaths were reported; 3,549 in Turkey and 1,602 others in Syria.

Mainshock The earthquake struck at at 01:17 UTC. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured it at moment magnitude (Mww ) 7.8, while GEOSCOPE reported a magnitude of 8.0 Mw, and the Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) measured it at Mw  7.8.  It had an epicenter 34 km (21 mi) west of Gaziantep in Gaziantep Province, which is near the border with Syria. It is the strongest ever recorded in Turkey, equaling the 1939 Erzincan earthquake  possibly being surpassed only by the 1668 North Anatolia earthquake. and globally the largest earthquake ever recorded since August 2021. The shock had a focal mechanism corresponding to shallow strike-slip faulting.[9] Rupture occurred on either a northwest–southeast striking, northeast dipping or northwest–southeast striking, northwest dipping fault. The USGS estimated a rupture dimension of ~190 km (120 mi) long and ~25 km (16 mi) wide.[9] A professor of geophysics at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia said the earthquake may have ruptured over 300 km (190 mi) of fault. It is thought to have ruptured sections of the East Anatolian Fault and Dead Sea Transform.

Aftershocks There was an aftershock measuring Mww  6.7 which occurred about 11 minutes after the mainshock. There were 25 aftershocks Mw 4.0 or greater recorded within six hours of the main tremor, according to the USGS. More than 12 hours later, the USGS had reported at least 54 aftershocks of 4.3 or greater magnitude, while the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) recorded at least 120 aftershocks. Tremors from the two mainshocks were detected as far away as Denmark and Greenland.

Damage and casualties in Turkey In Turkey, at least 3,549 people across 10 provinces died and an additional 22,168 were injured. Some people who were trapped under rubble livestreamed their pleas for help on social media. Around 6,217 buildings collapsed in 10 provinces across Turkey. Many buildings were destroyed in Adıyaman and Diyarbakır.  In Diyarbakır, a shopping mall collapsed. The governor of Osmaniye reported 34 buildings in the province had collapsed. Adana There were 146 deaths and 2,611 injured in Adana Province. Two apartment buildings, including one 17 stories high, collapsed, killing at least 10 people, with Adana city receiving a total of 58 deaths and 720 injuries. Malatya At least 166 fatalities and 3,298 injuries were reported in Malatya Province. At least 300 buildings were razed in Malatya. The ceiling of the Malatya Erhaç Airport experienced a partial collapse. The 13th-century Yeni Camii mosque partially collapsed. Yeni Malatyaspor's goalkeeper, Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan, was reportedly trapped under a collapsed building. Gaziantep At least 481 people were killed, 3,890 others were injured. Many historical sites were significantly damaged, including the iconic Gaziantep Castle. Hatay In Hatay Province, 872 people died, 2,766 were injured, and an unknown number of people were trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings. At least 1,200 buildings in Antakya, and the districts of Kırıkhan and İskenderun were razed. The runway of the Hatay Airport was split and uplifted flights were cancelled. Two provincial hospitals and a police station were destroyed ,and a gas pipeline exploded. The building that was the assembly of Hatay State was destroyed. Heavy damage occurred in Antakya—hundreds of buildings and a state hospital collapsed. Skyscrapers and many apartment buildings toppled. In Antakya's Güzelburç district, several dozen buildings were destroyed. In the city's central and Cebrail districts, where many buildings have been around for 40–50 years, nearly every house collapsed. At the İskenderun Port, a large fire broke out. Several prominent individuals were listed as missing after the earthquake. Most of the squad and coaching staff of Hatayspor were initially trapped in the collapse of their headquarters in Antakya before being rescued, with Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu, pulled out after more than a day "with injuries", while sporting director Taner Savut was confirmed to still be under the rubble.

Damage and casualties in Syria At least 1,602 people were killed and 3,649 were injured in Syria. The Syrian Ministry of Health recorded over 812 earthquake-related deaths and 1,449 injuries in the provinces of Aleppo, Idleb, Hama Latakia, Hama, Tartus.More than 200 died in the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia. In rebel-held areas, at least 790 people died, while 2,200 others were injured. In the village of Atmeh, 11 people died and many residents were buried. In addition, civilians were stuck under the rubble for hours due to the lack of rescue teams in several villages such as Atarib, Besnia, Jindires, Maland, Salqin and Sarmada. In Latakia, at least 150 people died and 350 others were injured. Seventeen people were killed and 23 injured in Hama. The President of the Syrian American Medical Society, Amjad Rass, said emergency rooms were packed with injured. In Idlib Governorate, a hospital received 30 bodies. A further 1,089 were injured in government-controlled areas, while in rebel-controlled areas the number of injured stood at 419. Footballer Nader Joukhadar, who played for the national team, was killed alongside his son when their home collapsed in Jableh. According to the International Rescue Committee, the earthquake struck when rebel-held areas were preparing for a blizzard and experiencing a cholera outbreak.  In Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, 46 buildings collapsed. The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums said various archeological sites across the city were extensively cracked or collapsed. In Rajo, a prison facility experienced cracked walls and doors. At least 20 prisoners, believed to be Islamic State members, escaped the facility. In Hama, an eight-story building collapsed, trapping 125 people inside. In Damascus, many people fled from their homes onto the streets.  Many buildings in Syria had already been damaged by an almost 12-year-long civil war. The Crusader-built castle Margat suffered damage, with part of a tower and parts of some walls collapsing. The Citadel of Aleppo was also affected. A total of 490 adobe buildings had partially or fully collapsed, while thousands of others were damaged in northwestern Syria. In Jindires, at least 50 homes were razed; among the deaths were a family of 7—the only survivor was a newborn.

Effects in other countries In Lebanon, residents were awakened from their sleep. Buildings in the country shook for up to 40 seconds. In Beirut, residents fled their homes and stayed in streets or drove in their vehicles to flee from buildings. Overall, the earthquake's impact on Lebanon was limited, with some buildings damaged in the cities of Miniyeh, El Mina, and Bourj Hammoud, and one house collapsed in Rashaya. In Ashdod, Israel, a building was evacuated after cracks were observed on a pillar,  and in Nicosia, Cyprus, some windows cracked,  and the wall of a house collapsed, damaging two nearby vehicles. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said shaking was felt in Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Russia. In Iraq, fans, frames and other hanging objects were heavily shaking. Many residents stayed outdoors while waiting for an announcement that it was safe to return to their homes. An aftershock hit hours later, causing buildings to be evacuated. No deaths or injuries have been reported. Tremors were detected 5,509 km away in Greenland and also in Denmark, according to the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Seismologist Tine Larsen said "We have registered both earthquakes – and a lot of aftershocks – in Denmark and Greenland.

Estimation of losses According to a professor of geophysics at the Kandilli Observatory, the death toll could be similar to the 1999 İzmit earthquake, in which 18,373 people died. On 6 February, when the death toll was over 3,400, the World Health Organisation warned that it could be 8 times higher, possibly reaching as high as 20,000 casualties due to complications stemming from aftershocks and sub-freezing conditions.

Response

Turkey

President's national mourning decision President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Twitter, "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the affected area. Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu urged residents to refrain from entering damaged buildings.  On 7 February, President Erdogan declared a 3-month state of emergency in the 10 affected provinces. The national government declared a "level four alert" to appeal for international aid.  According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, 25,000 search and rescue personnel were dispatched to the 10 affected provinces.  At least 70 countries offered to help in search and rescue operations. An "air aid corridor" was established by the Turkish Armed Forces to mobilize search and rescue teams. Many military aircraft including an Airbus A400M and C-130 Hercules planes transported search and rescue teams and vehicles to the area. Food, blankets and psychological teams were also sent. Turkey sent an official request to NATO and allies for assistance. In an official statement, Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Kasapoğlu announced that every national championship would be suspended with immediate effect, until further communications. Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer ordered a week-long closure of all schools in the country. Emergency services in Turkey rushed to search for survivors trapped under many collapsed buildings. On 6 February, more than 7,800 people were rescued from rubble across 10 provinces. In Adana, people could be heard shouting from under debris. Cranes and emergency teams in Diyarbakir attended to a pancaked apartment building. A team of 90 miners from Soma arrived at Osmaniye to provide assistance. The Izmir Metropolitan Municipality also sent dozens of vehicles and equipment. Poor weather conditions including snow, rain and freezing temperatures disrupted search and rescue efforts undertaken by rescue workers and civilians. Rescuers and volunteers wore winter clothing while searching for survivors. President Erdoğan had phone calls with governors and mayors from the disaster effected areas. Erdoğan declared 7 days of national mourning in Turkey by posting on his Twitter page.

Syria Syrian media reported a large number of buildings collapsing in the northern Aleppo Governorate, as well as several in the city of Hama. In Damascus, many people fled from their homes onto the streets. Syria's National Earthquake Centre said the earthquake is "the biggest earthquake recorded" in its operational history. According to SANA, the state news agency, President Bashar al-Assad held an emergency meeting with his cabinet to organize a rescue plan in the most hit regions. Sanctions imposed in relation to the Syrian civil war have exacerbated the hardship of average Syrians, as nations and organizations would not be able to offer direct assistance for fear of being subjected to sanctions. There were demands to lift or suspend the sanctions in order to aid humanitarian efforts following the earthquake. The Syrian government appealed to UN member states, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations for international aid. Following orders from President al-Assad, all teams of the civil defense, firefighting, health, public construction groups were mobilized to Aleppo. On 7 February, an Iranian aircraft carrying 45 tons of humanitarian aid arrived at Damascus International Airport. The humanitarian supplies included blankets, tents, medicines and food. Two aircrafts from Iraq also arrived at the airport to deliver 70 tons of foodstuffs, medical supplies, blankets and other aid supplies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Turkey%E2%80%93Syria_earthquake