The death toll from a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria climbed above 19,000, as rescuers raced to save survivors.
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People sit around a fire next to rubble and damages near the site of a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. (Image: Reuters)
Five back-to-back earthquakes since Monday have killed over 19,000 people and left tens of thousands injured in Turkey and Syria.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 centered in the Pazarcik district jolted Kahramanmaras and hit several provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis. Later in the day, an earthquake of 7.6 magnitude centred in Kahramanmaras's Elbistan district jolted the region.
The earthquake was also felt in several neighbouring countries, including Lebanon and Syria. The third earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale hit Goksun, Turkey. The United Nations said the first quake of magnitude 7.8 that had hit southern Turkey early Monday was the county's most powerful quake in more than 80 years.
Meanwhile, the Turkish president on Tuesday declared a ‘state of emergency ’ in 10 worst-hit provinces for the next 3 months.
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09 Feb 2023, 10:52 PM ISTTurkish citizen kisses Indian Army personnel amid rescue operation, moment caught on camera
A heart-warming picture of an Indian Army woman personnel receiving a kiss on the cheek from a Turkish woman while on rescue and relief work in the earthquake-stricken nation is making waves on social media.
Destroyed buildings are seen from above in Antakya, southeastern Turkey,
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09 Feb 2023, 06:48 PM ISTViolent earthquake may have displaced Turkey by 5 metres according to Italian seismology expert
The earthquake, which was centred in Turkey's southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, was a result of the grinding of the tectonic plates that the country sits on.
According to Italian seismologist Professor Carlo Doglioni, the violent earthquake may have moved Turkey 5 to 6 metres Southwest.
09 Feb 2023, 05:21 PM ISTRating agency Fitch estimates $4 billion economic loss on account of Turkey-Syria earthquake
Fitch Ratings has warned that the economic losses from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria could reach over $4 billion. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.8, has resulted in over 17,500 fatalities and the number is expected to increase as rescue efforts continue.
"The economic losses are difficult to predict as the situation remains fluid, but they could exceed $2 billion and reach $4 billion or more," Fitch Ratings stated.
Despite the extensive damage, the insured losses are expected to be much lower, at around $1 billion, due to the low level of insurance coverage in the affected regions.
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09 Feb 2023, 04:48 PM ISTWatch: Syrian boy drinks water from bottle cap while being rescued out of rubble
A video of a rescue worker offering a child water with a bottle cap has gone viral on social media, symbolising the humanitarian crisis that has emerged in the aftermath of the quake.
The rescue worker can be seen providing the little boy with water from a bottle cap as he is being pulled from the rubble.
09 Feb 2023, 04:34 PM ISTUN urges not to politicise aid to Syria amid economic sanctions
"Emergency response must not be politicised," said Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, as he emphasised the importance of avoiding political interference in aid delivery to earthquake victims in the country.
He spoke to reporters in Geneva and called for Washington and Brussels to ensure there were "no impediments" in the delivery of aid to both government-controlled and rebel-held areas in Syria.
The situation in Syria is dire, with over 3,162 people killed in the earthquake, and the country already ravaged by a decade of civil war.
There have been calls for the temporary lifting of economic sanctions to facilitate the delivery of aid to those in need.
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09 Feb 2023, 02:03 PM ISTSand Art Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates heart-touching tribute to the victims of Earthquake
09 Feb 2023, 12:59 PM ISTWatch: An infant and his mother were saved after 55 hours under the rubble
Mother child were saved after spending 55 hours under the rubble in Turkey's Gaziantep, a video shared by Twitter user showed.
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09 Feb 2023, 12:50 PM ISTAftermath of earthquake in Turkey
From thousands of building collapsing to roads split open due to the series of massive tremors. Here is a video shared by a Twitter user showing the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey.
09 Feb 2023, 12:25 PM ISTSyria Earthquake: Around 3 lakh people become homeless
More than 298,000 people have been made homeless and 180 shelters for the displaced had been opened, Syrian state media reported, apparently referring to areas under government control, and not held by opposition factions.
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09 Feb 2023, 12:17 PM ISTHow long people can survive in debris of an earthquake?
Many people are being pulled alive from the debris since the disaster took place in Turkey and Syria, however, the question arises that how long people can survive in the rubble of an earthquake. Experts predicted the possibility of survival for up to a week or more, depending on their injuries and weather conditions.
09 Feb 2023, 12:11 PM ISTDeath toll rises to over 16,000 in Turkey, Syria quake
The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed to more than 16,000 on Thursday, as rescuers raced to reach survivors stuck under rubble in freezing weather.
Officials and medics said 12,873 people had died in Turkey and 3,162 in Syria from Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 16,035.
09 Feb 2023, 12:06 PM ISTTwitter back online in Turkey after block
Twitter was blocked for at least 12 hours on major Turkish mobile providers in an outage that ended early Thursday, following a flurry of online criticism of the government's response to this week's deadly earthquake.
By about 5 am (0200 GMT), the social media site was accessible again.
Online monitor netblocks.org on Wednesday showed Twitter becoming throttled and then completely blocked across all major cell phone providers in the country. The site still worked using VPN services that disguise a user's location.
The country is still stricken after Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake, which killed at least 15,000 people there and in neighbouring Syria.
09 Feb 2023, 10:26 AM ISTTurkey's earthquake death toll rises to 12,391
The death toll in Turkey from earthquakes in its southeast rose to 12,391 by Thursday morning, the Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) said according to Cumhuriyet news website.
The number of those injured rose to 62,914, the AFAD said in a statement, while search and rescue operations continued, Cumhuriyet reported. (Reuters)
09 Feb 2023, 10:04 AM ISTTaiwan president to donate a month's salary for Turkey relief efforts
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai will each donate a month's salary for Turkish earthquake relief efforts, the presidential office said on Thursday, adding to existing aid already sent by the island.
Tsai and Lai, who is widely expected to stand for the presidency in elections due next year, "hope to do their part to help Turkey rebuild its homeland as soon as possible", the presidential office said in a statement.
09 Feb 2023, 09:44 AM ISTEarthquake stuns Syria's Aleppo even after war's horrors
For years, the people of Aleppo bore the brunt of bombardment and fighting when their city, once Syria’s largest and most cosmopolitan, was among the civil war’s fiercest battle zones. Even that didn’t prepare them for the new devastation and terror wreaked by this week’s earthquake.
The natural disaster piled on many human-made ones, multiplying the suffering in Aleppo and Syria more broadly.
Fighting largely halted in Aleppo in 2016, but only a small number of the numerous damaged and destroyed buildings had been rebuilt. The population has also more recently struggled with Syria's economic downslide, which has sent food prices soaring and residents thrown into poverty.
09 Feb 2023, 09:17 AM ISTDestruction caused by the earthquake
Some of the heaviest devastation occurred near the quake's epicentre between Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, where entire city blocks lay in ruins. Turkey said almost 3,000 buildings had collapsed in seven different provinces, including public hospitals.
A famous mosque dating back to the 13th century partially collapsed in the province of Maltaya, where a 14-story building with 28 apartments that housed 92 people collapsed. Social media posts showed a 2,200-year-old hilltop castle built by Roman armies in Gaziantep lying in ruins, its walls partially turned to rubble.
In Syria, the health ministry reported damage across the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus, where Russia is leasing a naval facility. The UN's cultural body UNESCO warned that two sites on its World Heritage List, the old city of Syria's Aleppo and the fortress in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, had sustained damage and that several others may also have been hit.
It noted that the quake occurred in one of the longest continuously inhabited areas on the planet within the so-called Fertile Crescent, which has witnessed the emergence of different civilisations from the Hittites to the Ottomans. Even before the tragedy, buildings in Aleppo often toppled due to poor infrastructure and many are dilapidated after more than a decade of war
09 Feb 2023, 09:16 AM ISTWhat we know about the Turkey and Syria earthquake
When and where: The first 7.8 magnitude quake occurred at 04:17 am (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 18 kilometres (11 miles) near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which is home to around two million people, the US Geological Survey said. It was followed by a slightly smaller 7.5 magnitude tremor and many aftershocks. The quakes devastated entire sections of major cities in Turkey and war-ravaged Syria. The region also hosts millions of people who have fled the civil war in Syria and other conflicts.
Casualties: More than 15,000 people have been killed and thousands more injured as efforts continue for a third day in freezing conditions to save those still trapped under rubble.
Officials and medics said 12,391 people had died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria, bringing the total to 15,383.
09 Feb 2023, 08:30 AM ISTItalian seismologist claims earthquake moved Turkey by 5-6 meters: Report
The President at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Professor Carlo Doglioni has claimed that massive earthquake which striked Turkey moved the country by 5-6 meters, as reported by Italy 24.
09 Feb 2023, 08:16 AM ISTTurkey Earthquake: How long people can survive in quake debris? Experts explain
Days passed, but search and rescue operation still continues to look for victims in debris after five back-to-back devastating earthquakes killed more than 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria. Many countries including Japan, the US, Britain, India, Germany, and others have sent their search teams to quake-hit countries for help and assistance. Experts predicted the possibility of survival for up to a week or more, depending on their injuries and weather conditions. Read more here
09 Feb 2023, 08:01 AM ISTDeadly quake puts Erdogan under pressure in May polls
The stakes could hardly be higher for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Just three months before the biggest test of his political career, a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria, killing more than 15,000 people. On May 14, Turkey will vote in presidential and parliamentary elections that polls conducted before the disaster showed would turn into a tight race for Erdogan, who has led the country since 2003. And even before disaster struck in the pre-dawn hours of Monday, Erdogan was trying to put out a series of crises at the same time.
His unconventional approach to economics has set off an inflationary spiral that saw consumer prices soar by 85 percent in annual terms last year. At the same time, his government has been swatting away accusations of cronyism, corruption and bungling the response to environmental disasters, including wildfires in 2021. (AFP)
09 Feb 2023, 07:19 AM ISTTurkish quake survivors face big freeze in cars, tents
Temperatures in the quake-stricken Turkish city of Gaziantep plunged to minus five degrees Celsius early Thursday but thousands of families spent the night in cars and makeshift tents -- too scared or banned from returning to their homes.
Parents walked the streets of the city -- close to the epicentre of Monday's earthquake that has left more than 15,000 dead -- carrying their children in blankets because it was warmer than sitting in a tent. (AFP)
09 Feb 2023, 07:13 AM ISTTwo-month-old baby alive after three days under the rubble in Turkey
A two month old baby was pulled out alive after three days under the rubble. A video was shared by a user on Twitter. The rescue operation in the earthquake hit Turkey is underway. Temperature in the quake-stricken city of Gaziantep plunged to minus five degrees Celsius early on Thursday. Thousands of families spent the night in cars or makeshift tents.
09 Feb 2023, 06:54 AM ISTDeath toll rises above 15,000 in Turkey, Syria quake
The death toll from a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria climbed above 15,000 on Wednesday, as rescuers raced to save survivors trapped under debris in freezing weather.
Officials and medics said 12,391 people had died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria from Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 15,383. (AFP)
09 Feb 2023, 06:42 AM ISTMusk says Turkey to re-enable full Twitter access 'shortly'
Twitter Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a tweet on Wednesday that the company had been informed by the government of Turkey that full access to the social media platform in the country will be re-enabled "shortly".
The Netblocks internet observatory, which tracks connectivity across the globe, said earlier on Wednesday that Twitter access had been restricted two days after a major earthquake killed thousands in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
"Twitter has been informed by the Turkish government that access will be re-enabled shortly," Musk tweeted, without providing further details on timing.
09 Feb 2023, 06:18 AM IST6th flight under Operation Dost reaches Turkey: EAM
EAM S Jaishankar says more search and rescue teams, dog squads, essential search & access equipment, medicines and medical equipment ready for deployment in the relief efforts
09 Feb 2023, 05:56 AM ISTMedical treatment given at Indian Army's field hospital set up in Hatay
Medical treatment is being given at Indian Army's field hospital to the people affected by the devastating earthquakes.
Image: ANI
09 Feb 2023, 05:46 AM IST1 Indian missing, 10 others stuck but safe in quake-hit Turkey: MEA
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday said that an Indian is missing and ten others are stuck but safe in remote regions of earthquake-hit Turkey even as specialist teams sent by India to the West Asian country commenced their search and rescue operations.
At a media briefing, Secretary (West) in the MEA Sanjay Verma said, "We set up a control room in Adana in Turkiye. Ten Indians are stuck in remote parts of the affected areas but they are safe. We have one Indian national missing who was on a business visit to Turkiye. He has not been traced in the last two days. We are in touch with his family and the company in Bengaluru which employs him." Verma said. Read more here
09 Feb 2023, 05:30 AM ISTPresident Erdogan acknowledges 'shortcomings' in quake response
The president of Turkey on Wednesday acknowledged “shortcomings" in his country's response to the world’s deadliest earthquake in more than a decade as hope dwindled that more survivors would emerge from the rubble of thousands of toppled buildings.
With the confirmed death toll approaching 12,000, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the especially hard-hit Hatay province, where more than 3,300 people died and entire neighborhoods were destroyed. Residents there have criticized the government's efforts, saying rescuers were slow to arrive. (AP)
09 Feb 2023, 05:21 AM ISTOver 12,000 people killed in Turkey- Syria
As per The Associated Press, over 12,000 people have been killed so far due to powerful earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Death toll continues to rise amid widespread devastation.
09 Feb 2023, 02:31 AM ISTMusk ‘reaching out’ on Twitter ban in Turkey
Elon Musk said he’s “reaching out" to find out more about Turkey’s blockage of access to Twitter. The government said it asked the social-media platform to do more against disinformation in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquakes, Bloomberg reported.
09 Feb 2023, 01:22 AM ISTOperation Dost: India sends aid for Turkey
MoS MEA V Muraleedharan reached Hindon airport in Ghaziabad from where Indian Airforce's C17 Globemaster aircraft with medical equipment, ration and relief equipment took off for Turkey, as part of the ongoing Operation Dost.
Further, Mos MEA told news agency ANI, “India has already sent 4 teams including 2 rescue teams of NDRF and 2 teams for medical assistance. Today, third team of NDRF has taken off for Turkey along with a dog squad, medicines, four wheelers. PM has given the message of One World, One Family, One Future"
09 Feb 2023, 12:52 AM ISTIn a first, Syria seeks EU help
Syria has, for the first time, asked for assistance from the European Union, two days after a devastating earthquake killed more than 11,000 people there and in neighbouring Turkey, the European Commission said on Wednesday, reported Reuters.
The EU said it would provide additional emergency support to both countries and emergency humanitarian assistance worth 6.5 million euros ($7 million) in one of the largest ever search and rescue operations through its Civil Protection Mechanism.
09 Feb 2023, 12:50 AM ISTTurkish bourse shuts for five days
Istanbul's stock exchange operator suspended trading for five days until Feb. 15 in an unprecedented step and cancelled all trades from Wednesday in the wake of a devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.
09 Feb 2023, 12:06 AM ISTTurkey working to open two more border gates to Syria for quake aid -foreign minister
Turkey is working on opening two more border gates with Syria to enable flow of humanitarian aid to its earthquake-hit neighbour, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Cavusoglu said damage on the Syria side of the road leading to Cilvegozu border gate, solely open for humanitarian aid as part of United Nations Security Council authorisation, is causing difficulties in quake response, Reuters reported
08 Feb 2023, 11:08 PM ISTKerela announces ₹10 crore relief package for Turkey, Syria
Kerala finance minister K N Balagopal Wednesday announced in the assembly that Kerala will provide ₹10 crore for earthquake relief hit Turkey and Syria where over 7000 people have been killed in a deadly earthquake.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinrayi Vijayan on Wednesday presented a resolution in the state assembly expressing condolences to the people who lost their lives in the deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
08 Feb 2023, 11:06 PM ISTTurkey risks financial pickle
While it’s too early to gauge the exact impact of Monday’s tremors on the nation’s $819 billion economy, a plunge in equity prices and jump in bond yields indicate fears of a substantial hit to gross-domestic-product growth, along with a loosening of the country’s fiscal stance.- Bloomberg
Turkey suspended trade on its main stock stock exchange on Wednesday following a 16% drop. Authorities have coupled unorthodox economic policies aimed at curbing inflation while also slashing borrowing costs with currency-boosting measures, which have so far protected the lira.
08 Feb 2023, 10:29 PM ISTEU to host donor conference on Syria, Turkey quake aid
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, have today announced their intention to host a Donors' Conference, in coordination with the Turkish authorities, to mobilise funds from the international community in support for the people of Türkiye and Syria following this week's devastating earthquake.
The event would be hosted in March in Brussels.
08 Feb 2023, 09:38 PM ISTScale of injuries from earthquake is more devastating that war: Syrian doctor
Doctor Mohamad Zitoun said on Wednesday that he never experienced the number of injured and the scale of their injuries following Monday's devastating earthquakes
08 Feb 2023, 09:05 PM ISTTeams from 18 countries in Hatay for earthquake response: Erdogan
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed on Tuesday that rescue teams from around 18 countries are in Hatay region for earthquake response.
Amid complaints of shortage of relief, Erdogan said that people should believe only on that information which is coming from a credible source
08 Feb 2023, 08:19 PM ISTTwitter restricted in Turkey: Internet observers
Internet observers Netblocks have claimed that Twitter has been restricted in Turkey. "Real-time network data show Twitter has been restricted in Turkey; the filtering is applied on major internet providers and comes as the public come to rely on the service in the aftermath of a series of deadly earthquakes," Netblocks said.
08 Feb 2023, 08:03 PM ISTRonaldo signed jersey to be auctioned to raise funds for earthquake-hit Turkey
Former defender of the Juventus football club Merih Demiral announced that he will auction his Ronaldo-signed jersey to raise funds for the relief efforts of earthquake torn Turkey and Russia.
Ronaldo-signed jersey to be auctioned for raising funds for the relief efforts of earthquake torn Turkey and Russia
08 Feb 2023, 06:30 PM ISTIndia launches Operation Dost to help Turkey & Syria
This is the biggest natural disaster to hit Turkey since 1939. We received an email from the Turkish side for assistance and within 12 hours of the meeting, first SAR flights left for Turkey from Delhi: MEA Secretary West Sanjay Verma
08 Feb 2023, 06:26 PM IST10 Indians stuck in remote areas of quake-hit Turkey: MEA
Ten Indians are stuck in remote parts of earthquake-hit Turkey but are safe while one citizen is missing, the Ministry of External Affairs has informed.
Secretary (West) in the MEA Sanjay Verma said the government is in touch with the family members of the Indian who is missing in Turkey.
India has already sent relief materials to Turkiye in four military transport aircraft.
08 Feb 2023, 06:12 PM ISTMinistry of External Affairs informs about Indians missing in Turkey
One Indian is missing, while 10 Indians are stuck in various regions of earthquake-hit Turkey, Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday. The ministry added that it is in touch with the family of missing Indian.
08 Feb 2023, 05:57 PM ISTSyria using war experience to boost rescue efforts
After devastating earthquake which killed more than 2,500 people, war-torn Syria is leveraging on the experience of years long civil war, to boost the rescue efforts
08 Feb 2023, 05:15 PM ISTTwo-month old baby pulled-out of alive after 3 days: Watch
08 Feb 2023, 05:09 PM ISTThird NDRF squad from India will leave for earthquake hit Turkey
Another team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been airlifted from Varanasi to Delhi and is expected to leave for Turkey tonight
08 Feb 2023, 04:53 PM ISTDeaths in Turkey, Syria earthquake pass 11,000
More than 11,000 people have lost their life in what is called as one of the most deadliest earthquake in the world in more than a decade. Rescuers continue to search rubble in different regions of earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.
08 Feb 2023, 04:40 PM ISTProblems in the initial response, but operations are back to normal now: Erdogan
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited earthquake hit regions on Wednesday and said there were some problems in the initial response to the massive earthquakes that struck southern Turkey but operations are back to normal now.