The World Health Organization has warned that the death toll from a powerful earthquake in south-eastern Turkey, on the border with Syria, might increase by a factor of eight.
The death toll exceeds 3,400 people and has risen swiftly since the first quake struck early Monday morning. Twelve hours later, a second large earthquake struck further north.
WHO: Turkey Earthquake Death Toll Could Increase Eight-Fold
In frigid and icy weather, rescuers have been digging through piles of wreckage to discover survivors. Countries worldwide are contributing to rescue attempts by sending teams of specialists, sniffer dogs, and equipment.
The earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9 kilometers (11 miles) in the city of Gaziantep, according to the US Geological Survey. According to seismologists, the first earthquake was among the biggest ever recorded in Turkey.
According to survivors, it took two minutes for the shaking to cease. The second earthquake, which was generated by the first, had a magnitude of 7.5, and its epicenter was in the Elbistan region of the province of Kahramanmaras.
Numerous aftershocks continue to be felt throughout the region. On Monday, the number of fatalities and injuries in Turkey and Syria grew dramatically. The WHO has cautioned that this figure might climb by a factor of eight when additional fatalities are discovered in the debris, BBC reported.
Catherine Smallwood, WHO's chief emergency officer for Europe, said, "We usually see the same phenomenon with earthquakes, which is that the first reports of the number of people who have killed or been injured will climb considerably in the week that follows."
Smallwood warned that the snowy circumstances would leave a large number of people without shelter, which would exacerbate the hazards. Many of the victims are in war-ravaged northern Syria, where millions of people inhabit refugee camps on both sides of the Turkish border. In rebel-held regions, scores of casualties have been recorded.
Thousands of buildings in both nations have fallen, and several films capture the moment bystanders fled for safety. Numerous 12-story buildings have been leveled, highways have been wrecked, and there are enormous heaps of rubble as far as the eye can reach.
Gaziantep Castle, which had endured for more than 2,000 years, was among the demolished structures. As rescuers continue to sift through mounds of rubble, experts are sounding the alarm over the earthquake's severe circumstances and intensity, which might result in an increase in the death toll.
Dr. Steven Godby, a specialist in natural disasters at Nottingham Trent University, has cautioned that the population's susceptibility and winter snow can make rescue attempts more challenging and increase the death toll. Per The Independent, aerial footage shows the devastation caused by an earthquake in Idlib, Syria.
Videos depicted buildings crumbling as rescue personnel fled for their lives through the turmoil and dust. The second earthquake, only six miles deep and 59 miles north of the first, would have been the most violent in the region since 1999.
According to a representative of Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, it was "not an aftershock" and was "independent" of the previous quake. The second tremor occurred on a distinct fault line but was probably definitely generated by the initial tremor.
The twin tremors that forced buildings to sway dramatically from side to side also wreaked havoc in northern Syria. According to The Sun, it is anticipated to be one of the greatest tragedies ever in an area prone to devastating earthquakes.
According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, at least 2,316 individuals have been killed. Authorities stated that another 13,000 people were injured, and 5,600 structures were damaged.
According to data from the Damascus government and organizations in opposition-held regions, at least 1,444 people were killed, and nearly 3,500 were wounded in Syria. The damage has left the survivors vulnerable to frostbite and possibly sickness. A historic mosque from the 13th century partially fell in Maltaya, along with a 14-story structure containing 28 flats.
Countries Offer Help For Turkey, Syria
In other locations, distraught rescuers attempted to reach people buried beneath the rubble. The Turkish government declared a state of emergency, and 15,000 rescue workers responded to the crisis. Aid offers poured in from all around the world. Within hours, nations began deploying rescue personnel and equipment. Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, stated that Washington was "profoundly concerned."
The European Union, Russia, Italy, and Turkey's old adversary Greece, whose ties with Ankara have been marred by a string of border and cultural issues, extended more offers of assistance.
Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged "the necessary aid" to Turkey, whose combat drones are assisting Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion. In addition to Lebanon and Syria, the earthquake was also felt in Cyprus and Cairo.
Lebanese were awakened by the earthquake, with many fleeing houses as they trembled. In Turkey, individuals attempting to flee quake-ravaged regions produced traffic backups, impeding the operations of rescue organizations attempting to reach the afflicted areas.
The nation frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location on major fault lines. In 1999, more than 17,000 people were murdered in the northwestern region of Turkey due to a significant earthquake. The largest earthquake tragedy in Turkey occurred in 1939 when 33,000 people perished in the eastern area of Erzincan.
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