More than 3,800 dead and at least 14,483 injured after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

More than 3,800 people were killed by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred this Monday in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, where, for the moment, no Argentine victims were reported, according to official reports released.

In Turkey, where the epicenter was registered, at least 2,379 people died, Vice President Fuat Otkay announced Monday night, according to whom more than 14,483 people were injured.

According to Otkay, a total of 7,840 people have been pulled from the rubble and 4,748 buildings have collapsed, the AFP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, in Syria, the earthquake caused at least 1,444 deaths.

In areas controlled by the Government, the balance is “1,431 wounded and 711 dead in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Tartus,” said the Syrian Ministry of Health.

In rebel-held parts of the northwest, at least 733 people were killed and 2,100 wounded, according to the Syrian Civil Defense rescue group.

The earthquake was also felt in Lebanon, Cyprus, and even in Denmark and Greenland, where the tremors “were clearly registered by the seismographs” of these countries.

The total death toll rises to at least 3,800, after Turkey revised its balance.

“The situation is very serious, many people are still under the rubble of buildings,” said surgeon Majid Ibrahim, from the Al Rahma hospital in the Syrian city of Darkush.

The tremor was felt at 04:17 (22:17 on Sunday in Argentina) and occurred at a depth of 17.9 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The epicenter was located in the district of Pazarcik, in the south-east of Turkey, about 60 km from the Syrian border.

There were about fifty aftershocks, one of them measuring 7.5 magnitude, which struck the area nine hours later, four kilometers southeast of Ekinozu.

The balance of victims worsens with the hours, due to the high number of collapsed buildings in cities such as Adana, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa and Diayarbakir.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned AFP that the number of victims could be up to eight times higher.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of mourning for the victims. “Our flag will be flown at half mast until sundown on Sunday,” he said in a tweet.

Due to the time the earthquake occurred, at dawn, most people were sleeping.

This earthquake is the most important in Turkey since the earthquake of August 17, 1999, which caused 17,000 deaths, a thousand of them in Istanbul.

According to Vice President Oktay, at least three of the airports in the affected area, Hatay, Maras and Gaziantep, have been closed.

The snow and storms that hit the region impeded traffic in others, including Diyarbakir.

The Syrian agency SANA released images of significant destruction in several cities, including Latakia, on the Mediterranean coast, where entire buildings collapsed.

I am deeply saddened by the many human lives lost as a result of the earthquake in #Turkey and #Syria. Entrusting to the mercy of the Lord all those who have died, I pray for all those who participate in the rescue operations.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex_es) February 6, 2023

Buildings also collapsed in Hama, in the center of the country, and in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city in the north, where the famous citadel was damaged.

The Ministry of Education announced the School closures in all government-controlled regions through the weekend.

Raed Ahmed, head of Syria’s National Seismic Monitoring Center, told official radio that this was “historically the biggest earthquake on record.”

Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly observed a minute of silence for the victims of the earthquake and the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, expressed his “deep sadness”.

repercussions in the world

The Syrian government asked the international community for assistancewhich announced the dispatch of aid and rescue teams.

This was the case of the European Union (EU) and many of its member countries. So did the United Kingdom, Israel, India, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, as well as Greece, Turkey’s historical rival.

The American President, Joe Bidenhe promised for his part “all necessary assistance”.

And the Russian president Vladimir Putinwho held talks with their counterparts from both countries, assured that they will send rescue teams.

Other leaders, such as Pope Francis and the Chinese president, Xi JinpingThey sent their condolences to the victims.

Turkey is located in one of the most active seismic zones in the world.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, causing hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries as well as extensive damage.

The epicenter was in the southeast of Turkey, about 60 km from the Syrian border.

The telluric movement was also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus. pic.twitter.com/dhcWrFx1E4

– Telam Agency (@AgenciaTelam) February 6, 2023

Experts have long warned that a major quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread construction without precautions.

For its part, the international community sent its condolences for the victims, including the Argentine Government, which expressed its “solidarity” through President Alberto Fernández.

“Argentina stands in solidarity with the peoples and governments of Turkey and Syria after the earthquake that caused a tragic number of victims. Our embassies are available,” Fernández said through a message posted on his Twitter account.

Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero expressed, in dialogue with Télam Radio, his “deep solidarity and condolences” for the victims and assured that the Argentine embassies in both countries “are conducting surveys” of Argentine residents and that they are “available” to whomever require it.

The Argentine consul in Istanbul, Diego Álvarez Rivera, indicated that for the moment no Argentine resident has been registered as a victim of the earthquake in Turkey.

Meanwhile, the Pope Francis sent his “heartfelt condolences” to Turkey and Syria, and offered “heartfelt prayers” for the thousands killed and injured in both countries.

Through telegrams sent with the signature of the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, Francis was “deeply saddened” by the “enormous loss of life” caused by the quake.

The European Union (EU) and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed their willingness to send aid to the disaster area, and US President Joe Biden was “deeply saddened” by the devastating earthquake.

The EU activated the Civil Protection Mechanism to coordinate the response to the earthquake, confirmed the Crisis Management Commissioner, Janez Lenarcic, who pointed out that the Emergency Response Coordination Center already coordinates the deployment of European rescue teams, being the Netherlands and Romania the first member states to offer assistance.

In the same vein, the UK responded to a request for assistance from Turkey by deploying 76 search and rescue specialists, four search dogs and rescue teams.

The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (Eadrcc) confirmed Turkey’s request, which asked the other NATO allies for emergency medical teams, rescue and search teams for survivors, and field hospitals.

Argentina stands in solidarity with the peoples and governments of #Türkiye and #Syria after the earthquake that caused a tragic number of victims. Our embassies are available ⬇️ https://t.co/7QPKInQbK1

– Alberto Fernandez (@alferdez) February 6, 2023

The UN General Assembly observed a minute’s silence for the victims, while the specialized UN teams for Disaster Assessment and Coordination (Usdac) said they were “ready to deploy” to southern Turkey, where it was affected. the city of Gaziantepun, a UN aid center for northern Syria.

For its part, the WHO will send emergency medical teams to provide care to the injured and the most vulnerable, said its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on his Twitter account.

Finally, Unicef ​​will provide international aid and confirmed that it is prepared to support the emergency response.

The emergency contact numbers provided by the Government to request information on Argentine citizens living in Turkey are:

– Guard telephone number of the Argentine Embassy in Turkey: +90 533 548 97 18.

– Argentine Consulate in Istanbul: +90 530 041 78 82.

– Guard telephone number of the Argentine Embassy in Syria: +963 933 884 050.