QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Hundreds have been reported dead, with many more still missing, as a result of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey’s south at 4.17 am on February 6. An aftershock hit the same area at 13.24 today.
The epicenter was located near Maras, in Turkey’s south, and was felt throughout the Levant and northern Iraq. The worst-affected regions are those located near the fault line, such as Hatay, Kahramanmaras, and Gaziantep in Turkey, as well as Syria’s Aleppo and Idlib Governorates.
Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, put the latest death toll in his country at 912, as well as 5.383 injured. Around 1.718 buildings have collapsed. Maras, Gaziantep and Hatay seem the worst-affected cities. Turkey’s Ministry of Defense said the country’s armed forces have established an air corridor to enable medical and rescue teams to reach the areas.
In Syria, the worst affected areas were the city of Aleppo; the Afrin region, especially the cities of Afrin and Jindires; and the towns of Sarmada, al-Dana, and Termanin in HTS-controlled Idlib.
North Press’ Monitoring and Documentation Department recorded 644 deaths and 1.464 injuries across Syria. The Syrian government’s Ministry of Health has reported 326 people killed and 1.042 wounded. The Syrian opposition-linked White Helmets rescue team said that 147 people were killed and 340 injured in its areas, but that the “toll is increasing” as rescue operations continue. 50 people were killed and scores more injured in the city of Afrin alone. A similar toll is expected in Jindires, where several buildings have collapsed. In Shiekh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah, two self-governing Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo, the Kurdish Red Crescent reported four killed and eleven injured.
The universities in government-controlled Tishrin, Tartus, Hama, and Aleppo have postponed university exams scheduled for Monday. Around 100 buildings were damaged across Syria, according to North Press’ own Monitoring and Documentation Department.
The earthquake was felt throughout north and east Syria, though it spared most areas further to the east. Buildings in Kobani, on the Turkish border, were damaged, though no deaths have yet been reported. The Najm Castle, near Manbij, was severely damaged.
Several countries, including Azerbaijan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Greece, Armenia, Egypt, France, and Russia, among others, have pledged to send rescue teams to both countries. US President Joe Biden has directed USAID and other federal government partners to aid the Turkish government. The EU has launched its European Civil Protection Mechanism unit to help Turkey and Syria. The United Nations mission to Syria said it is coordinating assistance for the areas affected.
This morning, experts warned that aftershocks could continue for “several days, several weeks, maybe even several months”. A second earthquake was felt at 13.24 in Qamishli, northeast Syria. Its epicenter appears to be near last night’s. USGS reports it had a magnitude of 7.5.
Experts say these earthquakes are especially devastating since their hypocenter are located at a relatively shallow depth of 24,1 km underneath the earth’s surface.