Earthquake in Turkey: Pictures Shows The Damage Before and After

More than 5,000 people have been killed and significant damage has been caused as a result of two massive earthquakes and a series of aftershocks that have struck Turkey, Syria, and the surrounding area.

Buildings in Gaziantep Damage from Damage

On the official magnitude scale, the first earthquake, which occurred on February 6 at 04:18 local time (01:18 GMT), was measured as having a magnitude of 7.8, which is considered to be “significant.” Its epicentre was located close to Gaziantep, a city that has a population of almost two million people.

The magnitude of the earthquakes was so great that they knocked down tower blocks and public buildings in northern Syria. The shaking could be felt as far away as Cyprus and Lebanon, which are both around 250 miles (400 kilometres) from the epicentre.

In Turkey, authorities have verified the deaths of almost 3,500 people, along with over 20,000 wounded persons and the destruction of around 6,000 structures.

Gaziantep Building Has Suffered a Collapse

The Castle of Gaziantep, which has been standing for more than two thousand years, was severely destroyed as well. During the time of the Roman Empire, construction began on the hilltop fortress. More recently, it has functioned as a museum until very recently.

Deterioration of the Walls of the Castle of Gaziantep

After the initial quake, there were a number of aftershocks, including one that was nearly as powerful as the initial quake, registering a magnitude of 7.5, and occurring at 13:25 (10:25 GMT) with its epicentre approximately 60 miles (100 km) further north in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras province. This earthquake was almost as powerful as the initial quake.

On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey proclaimed a state of emergency in the southeast region of the nation, which covers ten cities that have been impacted. The state of emergency will last for three months.

Buildings and piers at the Mediterranean port city of Iskenderun, which is located in the province of Hatay and is about 75 miles (120 kilometres) from Gaziantep, were reduced to rubble.

Extensive damage was inflicted upon the famous Yeni Camii mosque, which is located in Malatya, more than 100 miles (160 kilometres) from the epicentre of the earthquake. As a result of the collapse of its domes, it was exposed to the cold sky.

The mosque was completely destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1894, and despite subsequent efforts to rebuild it, it was damaged by another earthquake in 1964.

In Syria, the collapse of buildings was responsible for the deaths of more than 1,600 people. The earthquake caused significant destruction to the historic citadel in the city of Aleppo, which had already been ruined by a decade of civil war.

A significant portion of a block consisting of residential and commercial buildings in the community of Besnaya-Bseineh was reduced to rubble.