The devastating earthquake that struck on February 6 killed more than 4,300 people in Turkey and Syria, causing many constructions to collapse completely.
According to Archyde.com, on February 6, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, with the epicenter located in the town of Pazarcik in Kahramanmaras province.
After the earthquake, the surrounding area continued to shake because of 6 strong aftershocks. Turkey and Syria were the two countries hardest hit by the quake, although tremors were also recorded in Lebanon, Egypt and Cyprus.
This is the strongest earthquake worldwide since the one in the South Atlantic Ocean in August 2021, the US Geological Survey said. The Syrian National Earthquake Center also rated this as the largest earthquake recorded since the agency was established.
Immediately after the earthquake, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with the governors of eight affected provinces to direct search and rescue work. Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held an emergency meeting to assess the damage and discuss remedial measures.
“Everybody is doing their best even in winter. The cold weather, and earthquakes that happen at night make things more difficult,” Mr. Erdogan said.
Local Turkish officials say the affected internet infrastructure and damaged main roads are severely hampering rescue efforts. On the evening of February 6, the Turkish Government deployed rescue helicopters to the affected areas, declaring a level 4 alert and calling for help from the international community.
Facing the difficult situation in Turkey and Syria, many countries quickly announced urgent support measures.
Azerbaijan announced that it will send a search and rescue team of 370 people and equipment to support Turkey. The Netherlands announced it would deliver 15 tons of search and rescue equipment. German technical support agency THW said it was preparing to deploy assistance to disaster areas. The Czech side also announced that it was sending a rescue team of 68 people to Turkey after the request from Ankara.
On February 7, Russia announced that it had sent four transport planes and more than 100 rescue workers to Turkey and Syria to assist in the search for victims of the earthquake. The Russian Defense Ministry also asked the troops stationed in Syria to participate in the recovery process after the disaster.
On the part of the World Health Organization (WHO), the agency has sent emergency medical teams in Turkey and Syria to support the earthquake-stricken area and treat the injured.
As of the morning of February 7, the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Management Agency said that the death toll from the earthquake in the country had increased to 2,921 cases, the number of people injured was about 13,000. The number of people killed in Syria is 1,451 cases, more than 3,500 others are injured.
Turkish President Erdogan recently declared a 7-day national mourning to commemorate the thousands of victims of the earthquake in Kahramanmaras province.
“Due to the earthquake that struck our country on February 6, I declare a period of national mourning for 7 days. The flag will be flown at half-staff until the evening of February 12, at all our representations at home and abroad,” Erdogan said.
Viet Dung