China News Service, February 7th. "The power of this earthquake is equivalent to the explosion of 130 atomic bombs." Turkish earthquake experts commented on the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that occurred in the country on the morning of the 6th.
On the 6th local time, from early morning to noon, within 12 hours, two 7.8-magnitude earthquakes occurred in Turkey, and there were dozens of aftershocks, causing heavy casualties.
According to the latest news from Agence France-Presse, the earthquake has killed more than 3,800 people in Turkey and Syria.
Turkish Vice President Oktay said that the earthquake killed 2,379 people in the country, injured 14,483, destroyed 4,748 buildings, and rescued a total of 7,840 people from the rubble.
The Syrian government and aid workers say at least 1,444 people have died across the country.
According to CNN, after the strong earthquake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced seven days of national mourning, and flags will be lowered at half-mast everywhere.
The devastating earthquake was one of the strongest to hit Turkey in the past 100 years, according to US media.
Thousands of buildings collapsed, some were flattened, and tens of thousands were left homeless.
The weather was cold, windy and snowy, and the second strong earthquake made the rescue work even worse.
The picture shows on February 6, local time, in Adana, Turkey, rescuers searched and rescued among the rubble.
Two 7.8-magnitude earthquakes killed 3,800 people!
Earthquakes continued in Turkey on the 6th. Within 12 hours, two 7.8-magnitude earthquakes occurred successively.
At around 4:00 a.m. local time on the 6th, while people were still asleep, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck near Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey.
Since then, dozens of large and small aftershocks have occurred near the area.
Until around 1:00 p.m., a 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred not far from the epicenter of the previous one.
China Earthquake Network Express posted on Weibo, "At present, this is a swarm-type earthquake, and the epicenters of the two 7.8-magnitude earthquakes are about 96 kilometers apart."
However, CNN stated that the U.S. Geological Survey determined that the magnitude of the earthquake was 7.5, and believed that this was the aftershock of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the morning, the largest of more than 30 aftershocks that have occurred so far.
On the 6th local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred in Turkey. The picture shows the collapsed buildings and damaged vehicles in Hatay, Turkey.
Figure/Visual China
An official of Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said that this "is not an aftershock" and "has nothing to do" with the earthquake on the morning of the 6th.
Regardless of whether the second aftershock was an aftershock, the casualties and losses caused by the two strong earthquakes cannot be underestimated.
According to Turkey's "New Dawn", a Turkish earthquake expert said that the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southeastern Turkey was very destructive, equivalent to the explosion of 130 atomic bombs.
On the 6th local time, a screenshot of Turkish earthquake expert Ahmed Owen Ercan's social media Twitter.
According to the latest news from Agence France-Presse, the earthquake has killed more than 3,800 people in Turkey and Syria.
The toll is expected to rise further as rescuers and residents search for survivors in the collapsed building.
So far, there have been no casualties of Chinese citizens.
The Chinese embassy in Turkey and the embassy in Syria remind local Chinese citizens to pay close attention to early warning information, be more vigilant, strengthen prevention of aftershocks and other secondary disasters, and prepare for emergencies.
In case of danger, please remain calm, follow the arrangements of the local police and on-site commanders, and move to a safe area as soon as possible.
"A building collapsed just 200 meters from me"
According to the British "Guardian" report, the latest TV images in Turkey showed that a large number of local buildings collapsed and were even razed to the ground, and people fled to the snow-covered streets for refuge.
Videos circulated on social media showed that a local building could not withstand the force of the earthquake and collapsed, leaving only a cloud of dust.
Still in shock, many local residents stood in the snow in their pajamas as rescuers dug for survivors among the rubble of destroyed homes.
“We were woken up by the shaking and there were broken glass everywhere in the house,” said Sinan Sahan, a resident of Gaziantep.
"We dressed with our mobile phone flashlights and left the house quickly. Anyone who could save themselves has now fled to safety."
"Our house looked solid from the outside, but inside it was cracked. I was surrounded by destroyed buildings, some on fire, some cracked. Another building collapsed just 200 meters from me. ,” said Nihat Altundağ, a Gaziantep resident.
"We're waiting for the sun to come up so we can see the damage. People are standing outside, very scared."
In the early hours of February 6, local time, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey. The picture shows the earthquake rescue site.
According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, rescuers successfully rescued a seven-year-old girl from the rubble.
In addition, there are many people trapped in the rubble waiting to be rescued, including the country's volleyball and football players.
Fourteen players from a women's volleyball team in Turkey were buried under the rubble, and a sports club official asked for help in tears on social media.
"Our hearts are broken. Hope our players under the rubble are rescued soon..."
The Millennium Castle collapsed and the largest oil refinery shut down
The strong earthquake also caused damage to local cultural relics and factory facilities.
According to CNN, citing Turkish media reports, the Turkish earthquake caused the collapse of an ancient castle in Gaziantep, which has a history of thousands of years and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"Parts of the fortress in the east, south and southeast of the Gaziantep Kasbah in the Gaziantep Sahinbey region were destroyed by the earthquake and debris scattered on the ground," Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported.
The ancient castle was first built in the Roman period from the 2nd to the 4th century AD as a watchtower.
In the 6th century AD, the castle was expanded and consisted of 12 towers with a circumference of 1200 meters.
The picture shows the castle in Gaziantep, Turkey, whose walls were reduced to broken bricks during the earthquake.
The ancient castle has a history of thousands of years. It was first built in the Roman period from the 2nd to the 4th century AD as a watchtower.
Figure/Visual China
In addition, a natural gas pipeline in Hatay Province in southern Turkey was shaken by a strong earthquake earlier on the 6th.
The pipe later exploded and started a fire.
The explosions occurred in two different parts of the gas pipeline, about 3 kilometers apart.
The Syrian Oil Ministry also stated on the 6th that due to equipment damage caused by the strong earthquake, the largest oil refinery in Syria in the city of Baniyas has suspended operations.
Even the Turkish stock market was "shocked".
Affected by the Turkish earthquake and the U.S. non-agricultural employment report exceeding expectations, Turkey suffered a "double kill" on the 6th.
On the morning of the 6th, the exchange rate of the Turkish lira against the US dollar broke through 18.85:1, falling to a record low.
Cold weather endangers "golden 72 hours"
72 hours after the earthquake is the golden rescue time, and all parties are racing against time to find survivors in the ruins.
However, the weather is cold, windy and snowy, and severe weather is likely to make rescue work worse and even shorten the golden rescue time.
As the cold and wet weather continues, harsh conditions may affect relief and recovery efforts in southern Turkey and northern Syria on the 6th after the earthquake.
CNN reported that the temperature in Gaziantep, Turkey is slightly above freezing point, and it is expected that there will be showers and snow showers on the 6th and 7th, with the minimum temperature dropping to minus 6 degrees Celsius.
Early February is among the coldest times of the year, but temperatures are currently even cooler than average.
In the early hours of February 6, local time, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey. The picture shows an old man covering his face and crying on the ruins of the rescue site.
Despite the harsh conditions, Turkish officials asked residents to leave their buildings safely as more aftershocks were expected.
However, "given that the weather was right around the freezing point, it was a rather difficult problem," CNN said. "People had no coats, no supplies, and it was difficult to go out in pajamas for an extended period of time."
A difficult one, P Plus support
After the earthquake in Turkey, politicians from many countries in the world expressed their condolences to Turkey and extended a helping hand.
NATO, the European Union and 45 countries have offered assistance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences to the victims of the earthquake on social media Twitter and expressed his willingness to help.
"We stand with the Turkish people during this difficult time. We are ready to provide the necessary assistance to overcome the serious consequences of the disaster," Zelensky said.
The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolences to the two presidents over the large number of casualties caused by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Putin said in the message of condolences that Russia is willing to provide necessary assistance to Turkey and Syria in earthquake relief.
On the 6th, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu had a telephone conversation with Turkish Defense Minister Akar and suggested to him to provide assistance to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake through the military department, including providing medical assistance to the victims.
Akar thanked Shoigu and promised to draft specific proposals in the near future.
The meeting was held at the initiative of the Russian side.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said on social media Twitter that he was "sad over the loss of life and property" caused by the earthquake.
"India stands with the people of Turkey and stands ready to provide all possible assistance in dealing with this tragedy," he said.
Xu Wei, spokesperson of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said on the 6th that China expresses condolences and concerns over the casualties and property losses in Turkey and Syria caused by the earthquake in Turkey. assistance.
Why are there frequent earthquakes in Turkey?
Turkey is one of the most seismically active countries in the world.
According to the Turkish "Daily Morning News", Turkey is located on the Anatolian fault zone.
This fault zone runs through Turkey from east to west between the African and Eurasian plates, with the Eurasian plate slowly moving east.
At the same time, the fault is also under pressure from the Arabian plate.
According to the theory of plate tectonics, Turkey is affected by the compression and collision of plates, so earthquakes are frequent.
According to reports, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) recorded more than 33,000 earthquakes in 2020 alone, of which 322 were magnitude 4.0 and above.
All along, the Anatolian fault zone has been producing devastating earthquakes.
·On August 17, 1999, an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale occurred in the Marmara region of Turkey, causing more than 17,000 deaths, including about 1,000 deaths in Istanbul and more than 43,000 injuries.
· Three months later, on November 12, 1999, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Turkey's Duzce province, killing 845 people and injuring nearly 5,000.
In 2011, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Van province in eastern Turkey, killing 644 people.
In 2020, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Aegean Sea in western Turkey, killing 116 people.
Experts have long warned that a major earthquake could destroy Istanbul.
Naci Görür, an earthquake expert at the Turkish Academy of Sciences, urged local officials to immediately check dams in the area for cracks to avoid potentially catastrophic flooding.