Turkey declares seven days of national mourning after earthquakes

After earthquakes shook the country’s southern provinces, Turkey proclaimed seven days of national mourning. According to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, two earthquakes that struck Turkey’s southern provinces on Monday resulted in at least 1,541 fatalities and 9733 injuries.

According to the Anadolu Agency, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake with a Pazarcik district epicentre shook Kahramanmaras and many provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis. Later, the area was shaken by a quake with a magnitude of 7.6 that was located in the Elbistan neighbourhood of Kahramanmaras.

According to the news article, 3,741 buildings fell and there were a total of 145 aftershocks from the earthquakes, according to Fuat Oktay. The earthquake was also felt in a number of nearby nations, such as Lebanon and Syria.

According to the news report, the region has been working with almost 9700 search and rescue troops, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). The Turkish beaches along the Eastern Mediterranean do not pose a tsunami hazard, according to AFAD.

According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has experienced its “worst calamity” since the Erzincan earthquake in 1939. According to the Turkish president, according to the Anadolu Agency report, Erdogan spoke with the mayors of Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis over the phone and was told about the search and rescue activities.

Turkish schooling has been postponed until February 13, according to Mahmut Ozer, minister of national education. All national sporting events in Turkey have been put on hold until further notice, according to Mehmet Kasapoglu, the minister of youth and sports, according to a report from Anadolu Agency.

In a statement, AFAD said that Turkey had issued a level 4 alarm that included a request for outside assistance. After speaking with the Turkish Foreign Ministry, AFAD stated that the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) was used to request international help.

According to SANA, the earthquake in Syria has resulted in 237 fatalities and 639 injuries, the most of which were in the cities of Lattakia, Aleppo, Hama, and Tartous. According to the news report, Syria has requested assistance from other international organisations and UN members in its efforts to deal with the impacts of the earthquake that rattled the country.