A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey at 4:17 am local time (8:17 am local time).
Today (February 6) a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey at 4:17 am local time (08:17 am Thailand time). The epicenter was near Gaziantep, not far from the Syrian border.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was 17.7 km deep and 10 minutes after the first earthquake struck. There was also a magnitude 6.7 aftershock.
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The tremors from the earthquake were felt in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Cyprus and including Greece, more than 1,200 kilometers from Gaziantep.
Turkish officials said the earthquake affected 10 cities, with at least 15 deaths reported in Shanliurfa, five in Osmaniye and eight in Azaz-Al. And the number of deaths is expected to continue to rise, with many survivors and casualties expected to be trapped under the rubble.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan President of Turkey “Search and rescue teams have now been sent to the affected areas,” the statement said.
Turkey is located in one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world. It sits on top of the Anatolian Plate, a tectonic plate that is slowly turning counterclockwise and moving westward, moving about 1 inch per year. Africa and the Eurasian tectonic plate can lead to frequent earthquakes.
Turkey was hit by the worst earthquake in 1999 in the Dussel region. A 7.4 magnitude earthquake killed more than 17,000 people.
Experts have long warned that a massive earthquake could destroy the Turkish capital, Istanbul, which allowed the construction of large-scale buildings without any safety precautions.
Compiled from The Guardian
Image from AFP
