The devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has left the world shaken from the core. On 6 February, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey near the Syrian border.
The powerful tremors has sent shockwaves as far reached to Lebanon, Cyprus Greece, Israel, and Egypt. After four days of the horrendous earthquake, death toll remained 15,000 and above. Turkey still continues to reel under the aftershocks. Here are some of the latest updates about the tragedy that has struck the countries.
Reasons for the Earthquake-
Turkey sits at the intersections of three tectonic plates, viz. the Anatolian, Arabian, and African plates, which makes it a hotbed of seismic activities. The movements of these plates caused the Syrian end to bump into Europe, which squeezed Turkey and in turn send tremors.
Shallow earthquakes which are more close to surface cause more destructions and shake the earth more intensely.
Death Toll in the Countries-
The catastrophic earthquake that has hit both the countries on Monday consequently the death toll has climbed to more than 15,000. The search and rescue teams are battling the grim conditions with thousands of collapsed buildings and freezing temperatures.
Words from President-
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has admitted about the “shortcomings” amid the growing grudges about the state’s role in controlling the quake. He has also insisted that the situation is now “under control”. Trading on Istanbul’s stock exchange has been halted after the main index plummeted in early morning.
Aid Efforts increased-
The WHO said that it’s scaling up its response in Syria and Turkey due to which there might be escalation of already present diseases. These diseases might get amplified as a result of the aftermath of the quake. WHO has been sending medical team and three flights of medical supplies to the region. The EU has announced a donor conference to raise funds for victims.
Tough Conditions-
Extreme winter conditions is consequently impacting the rescue efforts. The potential hazard is also being measured to be high as a matter of fact. Though their frequency and magnitude are contrarily decreasing, 5.0 to 6.0+ aftershocks remains a possibility. This contrarily brings aa risk of additional damage to compromised structures, also creating threat to rescue operations.
Read more- https://whatson.guide/turkey-and-syria-a-massive-earthquake-took/
