“The tremors were very strong”: more than 20 people died in the earthquake in Turkey

At least 22 people died and more than a thousand were injured in a major earthquake in Turkey. According to the latest data from the Office for the Prevention and Elimination of Consequences of Emergencies (AFAD), 18 people were killed and 654 were injured in the province of Elazig, which suffered the main blow of the elements. In the neighboring region of Malatya, four were killed and 226 people were injured; reports of the wounded also came from a number of other southeastern regions of Turkey.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 occurred on the evening of Friday, January 24, in the vicinity of the towns of Sivridge and Doganyol. After the main shock at 20:55 local time (coincides with Moscow), 12 aftershocks with a magnitude of more than 4.0 were recorded (more than 270 tremors in total).

According to Anadolu, tremors were felt in several other Turkish regions, as well as in neighboring countries, in particular in northern Syria, Iraq and Iran.

According to preliminary data, the Russians were not affected by the earthquake. This information, in particular, was reported at the Russian embassy in Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he is closely monitoring the situation in the disaster area.

“All our services, primarily AFAD and the Red Crescent Society, are with our people. I wish our brothers, who died as a result of the earthquake, the mercy of Allah, and the wounded, quick healing, ”the head of state wrote on Twitter.

Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanı olarak, çalışmaları yakından takip ettiğimizin bilinmesini istiyorum. Başta AFAD ve Kızılay olmak üzere tüm kurum ve kuruluşlarımızla Milletimizin yanındayız. Depremde hayatını kaybeden kardeşlerimize Allah'tan rahmet, yaralananlara acil şifalar diliyorum.

Erdogan added that representatives of relevant ministries were sent to the affected areas, and emergency services take all measures to overcome the consequences of a natural disaster.

In the city of Sivridge, located near the epicenter of the earthquake, four buildings were destroyed, 25 more buildings collapsed in the province of Malatya. In search and rescue operations in the regions affected by the earthquake, more than 1,100 people work, as well as over 200 vehicles of the Turkish National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE).

AFAD sent over 140 trucks with thousands of tents, beds and blankets to the region for residents of affected areas. It is reported that the air temperature in Elazig in the morning of January 25 reached -8 ° C.

In turn, the Turkish Red Crescent sent more than 200 employees and almost 30 pieces of equipment, several mobile kitchens and food supplies to eliminate the effects of the earthquake.

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The largest Turkish mobile operators, such as Turkcell, Vodafone and Turk Telekom, temporarily provided residents of the earthquake-affected areas with free internet access and unlimited time for phone calls.

The search for survivors is assisted by 18 specially trained dogs. To date, it is known that 39 people have been removed from the wreckage, including one pregnant woman.

It is noted that the airport in Elazig is operating normally after a short break. In addition, electricity and gas are also supplied as usual.

According to the Anatolian agency, many locals who left their homes spent the night in gyms, conference halls, and parks and gardens.

“We were very shocked. We were terribly scared, everyone ran out into the street and now we are standing here. It is very cold, but we are afraid to go home. There seems to be no visible destruction in the center of Elazig, they haven’t heard anything like it yet, but I’m afraid that there may be destruction in the countryside, ”one of the eyewitnesses told RIA Novosti.

He added that friends from neighboring areas who also felt tremors contacted him. According to other eyewitnesses, earthquakes of a similar strength in Elazig have not yet been observed.

“The tremors were very strong, the walls in my house were damaged. This is the first such powerful earthquake in Elazig, ”a resident of the region affected by the disaster told TASS.

Note that in early January, an earthquake was recorded in a suburb of Istanbul. The magnitude of the shocks was 4.7 - there were no injuries.

A larger earthquake occurred in Turkey in September 2019. At least 30 people were affected by the shocks in Istanbul, and more than 450 buildings were damaged. Turkish emergency departments then reported that after the earthquake, 188 aftershocks were recorded, the strongest being 4.1 points.