Turkey-Syria quake is one of the deadliest in recent history with 20k killed
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on Monday in Turkey and Syria has resulted in more than 20,000 casualties, making it one of the deadliest of this century.
Rescuers are combing through rubble in a race against not only time but also bitterly cold temperatures.
The death toll surge on Thursday has also made the Turkey-Syria quake deadlier than the massive 9.1 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan in 2011, which resulted in a tsunami and killed just under 20,000.
The deadliest earthquake of the last decade was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal in 2015 that killed more than 8,800 people.
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Per a global ranking by CNN of the deadliest earthquakes of the past 20 years, the Turkey-Syria quake is quickly becoming one of the worst of the 21st century.
- 2010 Haiti earthquake (222,570 dead)
- 2004 Indonesia earthquake and tsunami (165,708 dead)
- 2008 China earthquake (87,476 dead)
- 2005 Pakistan earthquake (73,338 dead)
- 2004 Sri Lanka earthquake and tsunami (35,399 dead)
- 2003 Iran earthquake (26,796 dead)
- 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake (20,000+ dead)
- 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami (19,846 dead)
- 2004 India earthquake and tsunami (16,389 dead)
- 2015 Nepal earthquake (8,831 dead)
The quake flattened buildings across Turkey, with high-rise apartment buildings in some areas falling to the ground.
New satellite images from today, February 8, of areas in #Antakya, #Turkey that have been heavily affected by the recent #earthquake. Damage can be seen throughout the area, particularly with numerous high-rise apartments buildings that have collapsed. pic.twitter.com/zhK9WnJYtS
— Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) February 8, 2023
The area has also been plagued by hundreds of aftershocks, one with a 7.5 magnitude a few hours after the initial quake.
At least 71,290 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey, according to CNN.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would be providing $10 million in immediate aid to the two countries, adding that “our partners are already distributing food, emergency fuel, and shelter items.”
If you would like to learn about how you can help victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake, you can do so here.