Tens of Thousands Feared Dead, Missing, After Massive Quakes Strike Turkey
- Details
- Category: World News - Europe
- Published on Tuesday, 07 February 2023 18:00
- Written by Janet Walker
The death toll in Turkey's devastating earthquake continues to rise and is expected to reach upwards of 10,000 in the aftermath of a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that was followed by several significant aftershocks and felt across the region.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a seven day mourning period stating via twitter, "Due to the earthquakes that took place in our country on February 6, 2023, a national mourning period was declared for seven days. Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in all our country and foreign representations."
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By late afternoon Tuesday, Pacific Standard Time, 48 hours have passed since the massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Gaziantep, Turkey province at approximately 4:17am local time at a depth of 15miles and instantly the ground gave way, and thousands were buried under piles of pancaked buildings.
Many residents of the region who survived the initial quake, equivalent to 8million tons of TNT, never made it out of their homes as the second quake registering 6.7-magnitude on the Richter scale struck eleven minutes later, toppled the swaying buildings, pancaking the structures, killing thousands before they could reach the safety.
"Around 23 million people are likely to be affected by Monday's devastating earthquake and in need of humanitarian assistance, the officials said, citing figures provided by the Pacific Disaster Center, a disaster management organization," reported The New York Times.
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Throughout the first day more than 100 aftershocks rattled the regions and finally a significant 7.5-magnitude earthquake, a second lethal blow, struck six hours later, dismantling the frantic rescue efforts which had been hampered by the weather, the lack of equipment, supplies and personnel.
The powerful tremblor was felt across four countries with continued reports of serious damage in areas across Syria, including Aleppo, where structures already weakened from the continuing civil war could not withstand the explosive power released from the earthquake and many were killed as the tremblors continued.
Images coming in from the region depict mountains of debris, the only remnants of families and lives, uncontrollable fires, cities annihilated, structures and apartment buildings obliterated destroyed as if multiple bombs were detonated and in all that rescue workers who are flying in from all over the world are hoping for a single sound, a child's cry, the hope of life.
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"The earthquake also has damaged roads and airport infrastructure, though thousands of rescue teams have made it to the country. The 7.8-magnitude and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were a worst-case scenario: a set of shallow and powerful quakes under a populated region where construction methods weren't going to withstand the shaking," reported The Wall Street Journal.
The daunting challenges for survivors buried alive, include the bitter winter, with daytime temperatures in the low 40s and nighttime temps dipping to mid-30s, the possibility of hypothermia setting for the thousands still unaccounted, and dehydration could also be a factor in survival.
And yet there have been instances where survivors, who are uninjured, have an air pocket and some level of space could survive up to seven days. Images of bucket line brigades, four and five story high debris piles, flattened apartment buildings, out of control random fires, pancaked concrete slabs.
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For anyone who is compelled to assist, here are a few organized charities accepting donations. With the devastation so vast and traumatizing, an expected death toll of at least 11,000 and the possibility reaching as high as 20,000, organizations will be seeking assistance for some time to meet the short term needs of clothing, feeding, providing shelter, medical supplies, burial assistance, reunification or placement and care of orphaned children.
