Second Major Earthquake Hits Turkey, Death Toll At Least 1,500 As Aftershocks Continue
After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey on Sunday near the city of Gaziantep, the country has been rocked by further quakes and aftershocks, with a fresh 7.5-magnitude earthquake recorded on Monday.
READ: Gaziantep, Turkey Hit By 7.8M Earthquake, Significant Damage Reported
At least 4 major quakes above the 6.0 magnitude on the Richter scale have been recorded in the country for the past 24 hours. Around 100 aftershocks ranging from 4.0 to 6.0 magnitude have also been sustained by the region.
The country’s disaster management agency reportedly said that at least 1,014 people have died due to the disaster in Turkey alone.
At least 1,500 people were killed when two massive earthquakes rocked Turkey and Syria within 12 hours of one other. The death toll is anticipated to grow, with search and rescue activities underway around the region since many buildings have collapsed and many people are believed to be trapped beneath the wreckage.
Nearly 3,000 buildings are also reportedly destroyed after the series of earthquakes hit the country. Turkey, considered one of the oldest civilizations in the world and home to historical landmarks, saw several of its storied sites collapsed, including the ancient Roman fortress of Gaziantep–a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Turkey’s military forces have established an air corridor to allow search and rescue personnel to access the damaged area. The International Rescue Committee has urged for additional funding for humanitarian relief in Syria, noting that many people in the north-west of the country had already been moved up to 20 times, and that medical care in the region was “strained beyond capacity, even before this tragedy.”
According to a representative for the European Commission, more than ten European Union search and rescue teams have been mobilized in the aftermath of the earthquake. Other countries that have offered public promises of aid include the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Russia, and China.
Curiously, the earthquake was predicted–down to the magnitude strength–by Twitter user Frank Hoogerbeets just days before who said he’s a researcher at Solar System Geometry Survey.
A tremor of equal magnitude to today’s quakes in Turkey ravaged Izmit in 1999, killing over 17,000 people. Recep Tayyip Erdoan, Turkey’s president, called Monday as the country’s biggest calamity since 1939, when an earthquake killed over 32,000 people and injured over 100,000.
The aftermath of the earthquakes is expected to put additional weight on the already strained Turkish economy as it fights to control its hyperinflation.
READ: Hyperinflation Be Damned: Turkey, Argentina Post Massive Market Returns In 2022
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