Powerful earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, leaving more than 2,300 people dead, destroying thousands of buildings and prompting a massive rescue operation. The first 7.8-magnitude quake was felt across four countries on Monday morning. It was followed by aftershocks and then a 7.5-magnitude quake in the afternoon.
More than 8,000 people were injured and over 2,800 buildings destroyed in Turkey, authorities said. The earthquakes brought devastation to regions in Syria that were already reeling from war and to the area around the Turkish city of Gaziantep, home to millions of Turkish citizens, displaced Syrians and refugees.
A deadly earthquake that shook parts of Turkey and Syria could cause up to 10,000 fatalities and initial damages of $1 billion in economic losses, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
That estimate is from the agency’s Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response, an automated system that collects seismic data from remote sensors to rapidly estimate earthquake shaking and its impact on residents in the affected region, according to Alex Hatem, a geologist at the USGS office in Golden, Colo.
The USGS estimates the 7.5-magnitude aftershock could lead to an additional $100 million to $1 billion in economic losses and between 100 to 1,000 fatalities.
“The losses from the aftershock are clearly complicated because many buildings are already damaged,” Dr. Hatem said. “This estimate will change through time.”
The USGS damage assessment says that the populations in Turkey and Syria where the earthquake struck live in structures that are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and low-rise concrete frame with infill construction, according to the USGS.
In August 1999, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck northwest Turkey, causing an estimated 17,000 deaths, according to the USGS.
The massive earthquake that hit Turkey and northern Syria was also felt in Lebanese cities such as Beirut and northern Tripoli, where residents fear poorly constructed buildings could topple from the quake’s aftershocks and ongoing thunderstorms.
Ali Hareb, a resident of a southern Beirut suburb, said he has been hiding in a parking lot since the earthquake. Thunderstorms have pummeled the city for the past three days.
“I have survived a war, a port explosion, I do not intend to risk dying of an earthquake,” he said, referring to the 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed hundreds and destroyed parts of the city. “I’ll sleep in my car until the aftershocks stop.”…….