Strongest Earthquake in Turkey Since 1999
We thought it was an apocalypse’, this statement was given by residents of #turkiye after it was hit by 3 major #earthquakes in the span of 24 hours. The epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude quake was 23 kilometers east of Nurdagi, in Turkiye’s #gaziantep province at the Syrian border. It struck at 4.17 am before sunrise in harsh weather and was followed in the early afternoon by another large quake.
A series of aftershocks then reverberated throughout the day. More than 1,509 aftershocks have been recorded. Three major earthquakes were recorded on Monday. Two of the quakes struck in the nearby #Kahramanmaraş province. The largest, a major aftershock that measured 7.5 in magnitude, hit in Turkiye about nine hours after the initial quake and they continued throughout the span of 48 hours. A fourth quake of magnitude 5.6 was recorded the very next day increasing the death toll to over 21,000 people and is feared to go up as rescue teams search through the rubble.
Nearly 1,000 search and rescue volunteers have been deployed from Turkiye’s largest city, #istanbul, along with dogs, trucks and medications. The #worldhealthorganization (WHO) has activated its network of their medical teams in the two countries to assist those who have been affected by the earthquake. #nato, the European Union and dozens of other countries like #india , #usa , #taiwan , #iraq etc. have offered help with emergency response teams and other health aids. More than 100,000 aids, rescues, medical responders have been called into action.
Rescuers are in a race against time as the climate has worsened and the affected are forced to sleep on the snow-covered streets without food, proper clothes, electricity and other necessities amidst the winter blizzard. They are frantically searching the wreckage that were once homes, religious places, schools and hospitals. Thousands of people have been rescued and approximately 74,242 people are injured. The quake also made the 3 major airports inoperable which complicated deliveries for vital aid. Medical teams and health workers are tending to enormous number of patients rushing in continuously. The earthquake was the biggest recorded worldwide by the U.S. Geological Survey since a tremor in the remote South Atlantic in August 2021. Turkiye has declared National mourning for the next 7 days and countries are offering aid without constrictions.
We have our presence in #adana and thankfully none of our staff emerged injured. We extend our deepest condolences for the loss of loved ones, property and to the people living in the midst of unimaginable circumstances with hope that these catastrophic times pass sooner than ever. We offer our services and aid for all intents and purposes of rescuing and saving lives. We stand alongside Turkiye and the distressed.
