"200 Dead in Turkey Earthquake with 'Worst Power in History'"

"Record Largest Scale Observed"
Neighboring Country Syria Also Affected

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southeastern Turkey (T?rkiye) in the early hours of the 6th (local time), causing the death toll in both Turkey and Syria to approach 200.

According to US media CNN and others, Turkish authorities reported that the earthquake resulted in 76 deaths and 440 injuries. Earlier, AFP reported 53 deaths, including 23 in Malatya, the capital of Malatya Province, 17 in Urfa, 7 in Osmaniye, and 6 in Diyarbakır.

Significant damage also occurred in northwestern Syria, bordering southeastern Turkey. Syrian authorities stated that 99 people have died and over 330 have been injured so far. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the damage was severe as buildings in camps housing millions of internally displaced persons due to the civil war collapsed.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), at around 4:17 a.m. local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred inland about 33 km from Gaziantep, a city in southern Turkey. Many buildings were destroyed by the earthquake, and the confirmed death toll is expected to rise significantly.

The USGS stated that this earthquake has the same magnitude as the worst earthquake recorded in Turkey's history 84 years ago. On December 27, 1939, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Erzincan Province in the northeast, killing approximately 30,000 people.

Professor Karl Lang of Georgia Tech explained to CNN that the region in Turkey where the earthquake occurred is highly vulnerable to seismic activity. Professor Lang said, "The size of the vibrations felt on the surface is a function determined by the amount of energy released, that is, the earthquake's magnitude, and the depth of the epicenter. If it is very close to the surface, meaning a shallow earthquake, it can be very dangerous," adding, "Today's earthquake is rare in that the epicenter depth is shallow and the magnitude is very large."

CNN reported that earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, occurring fewer than five times worldwide per year. Turkey is located on the continental plate called the 'Anatolian Plate,' making earthquakes not uncommon.