Earthquake hits Turkey and Syria

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake has shaken Turkey and Syria, killing at least 195 people according to authorities.

The quake was centred in the town of Pazarcik in Kahramanmaras province, about 20 miles from the city of Gaziantep, at a depth of 6 miles and there were six powerful aftershocks, according to reports.

At least 76 people have been reported dead in Turkey, a further 119 fatalities in Syria and hundreds of injured across both nations.

Several buildings have been destroyed as people gathered outside on snowy streets in Pazarcik, according to images on state broadcaster TRT.

Rescue workers and residents using flashlights were searching through piles of tangled metal and concrete rubble in one of the stricken cities.

People on the street shouted up to others inside a partially toppled apartment building, leaning dangerously.

"I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I've lived," said Erdem, a resident of Gaziantep.

"We were shaken at least three times very strongly, like a baby in a crib."

The governor of Osmaniye province said at least 34 buildings had collapsed due to the quake while the governor of Malatya said 130 had fallen down in his province.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit by the quake.

"We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage," he wrote.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said: "Our priority is to bring out people trapped under ruined buildings and to transfer them to hospitals."

In Sanliurfa, at least 10 deaths have been confirmed, according to governor Salih Ayhan.

Several buildings tumbled down in the neighbouring provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk television reported. There were no immediate reports on casualties.

Earthquake hits Turkey and Syria killing at least 195 - and felt elsewhere in the Middle East | World News | Sky News

This is a bad one.



More than 500 people have been killed and some 3,000 others injured in Turkey and Syria after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkey early Monday.


Rescuers are now frantically searching for survivors after the powerful quake shook the region, causing multiple aftershocks and sending tremors as far away as Lebanon and Israel.


Here's what you need to know:


Major disaster: The quake struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi in Turkey's Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), and is one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.


The victims: At least 284 people have died and more than 2,300 others were injured in Turkey, officials said. In neighboring Syria, at least 237 people died and 639 others were injured, state media reported, citing the Health Ministry. USGS estimated the total death toll could reach as high as 10,000 people.


Devastating aftermath: The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said their hospitals in Syria "are overwhelmed with patients filling the hallways," while the White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, declared the northwest of the country as a "disaster area."


Survivors' accounts: Journalist Eyad Kourdi, who lives in Gaziantep, told CNN there were up to eight "very strong" aftershocks in under a minute after the quake. Dr. Mazen Kewara, SAMS Middle East director, said he was sheltering in his car with his family "in very very heavy weather" after the quake. They were sleeping "when we started to feel everything shaking around us," he said.


Rescue efforts: The Netherlands and Israel are among countries to pledge support after Turkey's disaster agency appealed for help from the international community. Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 search and rescue volunteers have been deployed from Istanbul to southern Turkey, officials said.


Freezing conditions: Poor weather, including snow and sub-zero temperatures, is likely to hamper the rescue efforts as a cold and wet weather system moves through the region. Temperatures will drop Tuesday, with the low in Gaziantep expected to fall to -6 degrees Celsius (21 degrees Fahrenheit).


Global support: Leaders from the US, India, Pakistan and Ukraine have offered condolences and pledged support following the disaster. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US was "profoundly concerned" about the destruction.

Live updates: Turkey-Syria earthquake kills more than 500

Yes Misskit, this is looking very bad. The last time Turkey was hit by an earthquake anything like this magnitude was back in the 90s when there were many thousands of fatalities.


Second earthquake hits Turkey after more than 1,000 killed

Turkey earthquake: More than 1,000 killed as huge quake rocks Turkey and Syria - BBC News

1,200 dead, but numbers expected to jump as 1,000s still missing…

1,797 dead between Turkey and Syria so far.

Substandard building codes , or the enforcement of existing ones. Not the first time this has happened.
Very Sad!
This is a very earthquake prone region of the world, but with proper building codes and enforcement the loss can be minimised.
1981 , 7.5 earthquake centered about an hour away from Athens. Death count 18.
1999 , Izmit earthquake in Turkey, 7.4 lasted jes than a minute. More than 17,000 people were killed
I remember reading about the outrage over the shoddy building practices and corruption of inspectors.
seems little has changed.
Now I realise that there are other variables , such as time of occurrence, depth . etc ,
But , 18 to 17,000 . can not only be attributed to variables.
Very sad . My heart goes out to all the people in the region.I can only imagine the suffering they must be enduring

Shoddy building practices are without doubt a factor but without knowing depth and position of epicentre wirh respect to urban areas, frequency of waves, type of waves, etc, it's impossible to compare like for like. It's not only about the Richter Scale.

...

Best wishes to the Turkish and Syrian people as they dig out from this.

The two hardest hit cities in Turkiye are historic cities with centuries old buildings. Last time a large earthquake (1991?) hit they talked about retro fitting buildings to make them safer but nothing much has happened.

Nevermind the unfortunately deceased, there is now 10s or 100s of thousands homeless during a Turkish winter.

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

1,797 dead between Turkey and Syria so far.

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The number will keep going up, 10,000s or worse will be more likely. You just look like a knob breathlessly quoting essentially random numbers.

Mother Nature at her meanest.

My thoughts go out to the families affected by this catastrophe.

Terrible stuff. Looks like Armageddon. War, starvation, earthquakes, drought et al seem never ending. The whole world is festering with unhappy souls. Same, same different time.

They're rioting in Africa - YouTube

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Originally Posted by Mendip

Shoddy building practices are without doubt a factor but without knowing depth and position of epicentre wirh respect to urban areas, frequency of waves, type of waves, etc, it's impossible to compare like for like. It's not only about the Richter Scale.

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Yes indeed. , I think I said something similar but not a eloquently.
"Now I realise that there are other variables , such as time of occurrence, depth . etc "
But it does not in itself account for the discrepancy in numbers.
Do to my interest in the region I happen to know a little bit about the issue, and it makes me sick.
The problem is well documented'

This article is more than 11 years old
"Turkey earthquake: building negligence amounts to murder, says Erdogan"
Turkey earthquake: building negligence amounts to murder, says Erdogan | Turkey | The Guardian

Well you had 12 years to something about the issue Mr Erdogan. What have you done other the speeches?

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Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

What have you done other the speeches?

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that's about it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

What have you done other the speeches?

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Pulled the country further towards religious conservatism, whine about the EU and how unfair they are, kiss Saudi arse, imprison journalists and opposition members etc etc

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Originally Posted by panama hat

Pulled the country further towards religious conservatism, whine about the EU and how unfair they are, kiss Saudi arse, imprison journalists and opposition members etc etc

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At least he didn't let a foreign kill squad murder someone in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul...



oh.


:(

Death Toll has passed 5,000.

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

killing at least 195 people

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

1,400 dead between Turkey and Syria so far.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

1,797 dead between Turkey and Syria so far.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by DrWilly

The number will keep going up, 10,000s or worse will be more likely. You just look like a knob breathlessly quoting essentially random numbers.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Death Toll has passed 5,000.

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Okay...

More powerful tremors hit Turkey - as WHO warns death toll could rise to more than 20,000

More powerful tremors hit Turkey - as WHO warns death toll could rise to more than 20,000 | World News | Sky News

Attachment 97905

From the wall Street Journal :
Poor Building Construction Played Major Role in Turkey Deaths: ‘History Is Repeating’
"Outside engineering experts believe the collapse of so many buildings throughout Turkey was caused by poor construction practices that should have been upgraded since a similar quake struck the region 24 years ago.
“History is repeating,” said P. Benson Shing, distinguished professor of structural engineering at the University of California San Diego. “Looking at the damage, the main problem in Turkey is they have lots of buildings not meeting modern code "


Poor Building Construction Played Major Role in Turkey Deaths: ‘History Is Repeating’



One of the positives to come out of this Horrible event, I hope would be the final removal of the natural disaster Erdogan has been for Turkey and to a lesser extend the whole region .

Death toll passes 12,000.

Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquakes surpasses 16,000

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday is now at least 16,035, according to authorities.


In Syria, the total number of fatalities is at least 3,162, including 1,900 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the "White Helmets" civil defense group. Some 1,262 deaths have been recorded in government-controlled parts of the country, according to Syrian state media.


In Turkey, the toll has risen to at least 12,873, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said on Thursday.


Aid agencies have warned the toll is likely to rise significantly higher, especially in Syria, as search and rescue teams sift through the rubble of thousands of collapsed buildings amid freezing weather conditions, faced with the risk of aftershocks.


Tens of thousands of people have been reported injured across the region, according to officials.

Live updates: The latest on the deadly Turkey-Syria earthquake

Body of Australian quake victim found in Turkey


The body of an Australian man killed in Monday’s earthquake has been found in Turkey, according to Linda Scott, a municipal councilor in Sydney.


Can Pahali, also known as John, had been visiting family in the country and was on vacation in the province of Hatay when the quake struck, CNN affiliate Nine News reported.


Australia's Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of an Australian citizen as a result of the quake but did not name the individual.


“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is deeply saddened by reports an Australian has died in the Turkiye earthquakes,” the ministry said. “Our consular team, and our teams in Turkiye and Lebanon, are working hard to assist family members concerned about their loved ones.”


The ministry said it is supporting around 50 other Australians and their families who were in the quake zone.

Live updates: The latest on the deadly Turkey-Syria earthquake

That picture doing the rounds of the father holding his dead daughter's little hand through the rubble is one of the most harrowing things I've ever seen.