A 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in the early morning of the 6th (local time) has caused more than 5,000 deaths in two days, and various analyzes are coming out about the background of the large-scale casualties. Foreign media and experts analyzed that a number of adverse factors overlapped, including a strong earthquake in an unstable fault line area, severe collapse of buildings with poor structures, and difficulty in evacuating after waking up at dawn.
Turkey and Syria lie on the continental plate boundary, and historically earthquakes have been frequent. Southeast Turkey and northern Syria, where the earthquake occurred, also lie on the East Anatolian fault line, where the Anatolian and Arabian plates meet. Since the 7.4 magnitude earthquake in 1882, there have been relatively few major earthquakes compared to the North Anatolian fault line region that spans northern Turkiye. Dr. Steven Hicks (seismologist) of University College London (UCL) in the UK said, “The Arabian plate moves northward by about 11mm each year and pushes the Anatolian plate.” that,” he explained.
The location of the earthquake was also relatively shallow. Most earthquakes occur at a depth of tens to hundreds of kilometers, but the epicenter of this earthquake was about 17.9 kilometers deep from the surface, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. Powerful vibrations are transmitted to the surface of the earth.
It is also pointed out that the buildings in the affected area are not designed to be earthquake-resistant. The USGS noted in its report that “the buildings here are generally extremely vulnerable to earthquakes.” Even when the ground shakes, the steel structure of the building can absorb the shock by bending the steel frame. However, most of the buildings in this area are made of bricks or poured concrete, leading to catastrophic collapse in the event of an earthquake.
In the actual damage area, many buildings have been witnessed collapsing or collapsing like paper boxes being torn apart. In particular, some analysts say that Syria, which has been in a civil war for 12 years, has been bombarded and shot, and many buildings have become worn out and weak, further increasing the damage.
It is pointed out that the earthquake occurred a little after 4:00 a.m., when most residents were asleep, and that there was no time to evacuate the building as strong aftershocks immediately followed. In the case of the epicenter, Turkiye Gaziantep, the lowest temperature was 6 to 7 degrees below zero and it rained on the day of the earthquake, so disaster experts are concerned that the chances of survival of people buried under the rubble are even lower.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.