Days have passed after the devastating Turkey earthquake, but the whole world is still in shock. A massive quake of 7.8 magnitudes struck Turkey and its neighboring Syria on February 6. The countries felt almost 200 aftershocks.
The rescue operations are still on. Unfortunately, the death toll is also continuing to rise. Horrifying videos of the devastation are coming out to send chills. Whereas the death toll has already crossed 36,000, some daring rescue operations have saved a few lives too.
The Timeline of Turkey Earthquake
4.17 am Local Time, Monday, February 6
The earthquake Turkey experienced struck for the first time in Gaziantep of Southern Turkey at 4.17 am local time on February 6. Syria also felt strong tremors, along with Lebanon, Iraq, and Cyprus.
4.28 am
The first aftershock of 6.7 magnitudes was felt.
8 am
There were ruins all around. Initial reports claimed the collapse of 140 buildings by then only. Rescue operations started.
US President Joe Biden expressed grief and anxiety over the Turkey earthquake.
9 am
After President Erdogan’s emergency meeting with the governors of Southern Turkey, the search and rescue operations were in full swing. Several countries declared sending support.
9.15 am
The situations in Syria were also pathetic. President Bashar Al Assad immediately met cabinet ministers and instructed them to speed up rescue operations.
10 am
Reports of destruction and deaths were coming from everywhere. Hundreds of buildings collapsed in the Turkey, Syria quake.
11 am
The death toll has already crossed 300 in Turkey. Syria reported the loss of at least 150 lives in the highest magnitude earthquake.
A Fearful Week
Since then, the people of Turkey and Syria have been living fearful life. Rescue work is still going on with full force and support from various countries, including the US and England.
It’s assumed that the death toll may reach up to 50,000.
Aid from Other Nations and the UN
The United Nations offered aid to Syria, which Assad agreed to accept. UN relief chief met the Syrian President on Monday, followed by his visit to the damaged areas.
Meanwhile, an aid plane from Saudi arrived on Tuesday in Aleppo, Syria.
British firefighters won many hearts during their rescue operations in Turkey. They dramatically pulled out a woman and a police officer from the rubble. They were stuck under a collapsed building for more than 120 hours.
The White House announced on Tuesday that it has sent ten lorries to Syria and will send more.
The earthquake in Turkey shook the entire world. Mexico paid final tributes to a military dog who lost its life during search operations in Turkey.
Search Operations Intensify in Turkey
The search operations, which began in the early hours of February 6 after the Turkey earthquake, have intensified. The rescue teams are desperately searching for stranded people. They are using search dogs and thermal cameras.
According to the administration, the search and rescue operations are in the final hours. The length of time that passed, the extreme cold weather, and the severity of the damages have made them take this decision.
Death Toll in Syria
Till Monday, Syria counted 2,274 death toll and over twelve thousand injuries.
Miracles Happen
A few miracles have happened during the search and rescue operations
Rescue personnel pulled out a six-year-old girl named Miray on Monday. She was stuck for 178 hours under the rubble of a building in Antakya, one of the worst-hit cities.
The national rescue team from Oman found a woman alive one week after the Turkey Syria quake.
A 13-year-old boy was rescued in Turkey’s Hatay province 182 hours after the earthquake. He is fighting to survive in a medical facility.
A baby boy was also rescued from Hatay, whose picture has gone viral on the internet.
Debris All Around
A large part of south-eastern Turkey has turned into debris after the Turkey earthquake. The mass-grave sites are running out of space. The whole country is mourning the loss of thousands of lives. Even in some families, there is no one alive to mourn.
Who is Responsible?
The highest magnitude earthquake caused massive destruction in Turkey and Syria. The tremors were indeed enough for hundreds of buildings to collapse in seconds. But was it all about the natural disaster? Perhaps not.
Experts in Turkey have warned for a long about many newly built buildings stating that they are unsafe. Many buildings in the earthquake-prone regions were allegedly built without following standard regulations.
The collapse of thousands of buildings has raised questions about whether human faults have intensified the effects of natural calamities.
Turkey officials have already issued 113 arrest warrants. Police have arrested 12 people related to building construction, including contractors.
Earthquake: Explained
The earth’s crust consists of massive chunky slabs called tectonic plates. The plates constantly remain in motion. The land rests on these plates, and buildings are built on the land. The plates collide with each other continuously, but their ages are usually stuck due to friction. When the edges receive extreme stress, they overcome the friction releasing colossal energy. The energy passes through the earth’s crust and causes massive shakes. This is called an earthquake.
Who is Next?
Turkey earthquake, one of the deadliest natural disasters of the century, has left the world fearful. There have been rumors about which country will be hit by an earthquake next. While many names like China and India are doing the rounds, experts say there is nothing to panic about. As most earthquakes can’t be predicted well ahead, there is no point in spreading rumors and making people frightened. Instead, the countries should focus on the qualities of their building constructions, especially in quake-prone zones.
