Algiers, 7 February 2023 (TDI): Algeria sent the first team of Civil Protection to Türkiye to participate in rescue and relief operations. The group consists of 89 assistants, doctors, and a Sinotec Medical team.
On Monday, a massive earthquake in Türkiye and northwest Syria killed more than 4,365 people and left others injured or homeless. According to USGS, Turkiye has had 100 aftershocks. The WHO estimates that the death toll might reach 20,000.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) confirmed 2921 deaths in Türkiye. AFAD claimed that this earthquake is the deadliest since a 1999 earthquake in the heavily populated eastern Marmara Sea region near Istanbul killed more than 17,000.
4,365 deaths have now been officially confirmed, with 1,444 coming from Syria. The earthquake damaged buildings, infrastructure, and people.
Emergency responders are struggling to reach earthquake victims in the immediate aftermath. The Turkish government declared a state of emergency in the affected area and mobilized military and rescue forces to help.
Weather hits survivors of Türkiye-Syria earthquake. Freezing winter conditions made it harder to find victims. Due to chilly weather, mosques across the region have opened as shelters for survivors.
Also Read: 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake rocks Turkiye & Syria, death toll rises
The international community also reacted swiftly to the catastrophe. Many nations are sending teams of experts in disaster relief and medical assistance to help with the response.
Millions of Syrians are already living on the Türkish-Syrian border, displaced due to years of war. Relief agencies are particularly concerned about northwestern Syria. Over 4 million Syrian people are already receiving humanitarian assistance.
Cause of Earthquake in Türkiye
Unfortunately, Türkiye has a long history of earthquakes. Before the 2023 earthquake, the 1999 Izmit earthquake was the most devastating tremor. This 7.4-magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage and death.
Türkiye’s location along the North Anatolian fault line is one of the primary causes of earthquakes. The fault line was created by the collision of the African and Eurasian plates, driving the Anatolian plate northward.
This movement has caused fault line stress, which causes earthquakes. Izmit’s 1999 earthquake hit a wide area, including Istanbul, 50 miles west of the epicenter. The 45-second disaster killed 17,000 and injured tens of thousands.
