6th February 2023 | Turkey – Syria Earthquake
An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the richter scale struck 26 KM NE of the town of Nurdagi in Turkey late last night. Nearly 3,000 people have been injured and the death toll is steadily rising. The government has declared a state of emergency in the area and rescue teams are working hard to save those trapped under the rubble. Dozens buildings have collapsed due to the quake, including homes and civic structures such as schools and hospitals.
The quake, which hit before sunrise in bitter winter weather, was the worst to strike this region this century. It was followed in the early afternoon by another large quake of magnitude 7.7 that was later downgraded to 7.5. There have been over 20 aftershocks so far and the cluster of after shocks is expected to continue for days.
Initial footage coming on social media shows harrowing scenes of destruction. Survivors are being pulled out alive from the debris of collapsed buildings, but many fear that more people could be trapped and in need of help.
On this page we`ll try to post all earthquake related updates, stories and survival skills that can help our readers prepare for such events in the future.
Our hearts go out to all those affected, and we hope for a safe recovery for everyone in the area. We urge you to stay tuned for more updates and to donate what you can to the relief efforts. We also invite you to share your stories and experiences in the comments below.
Please stay safe.
Social Media Reports
Social media has become our go to source for any news, with main stream media channels often tapping into content available on social media channels as well. The last 24 hours have shown us once again how an average person can use their voice to not only get much needed information out to the world but also help others to carry out targeted efforts to those who need help.
Visuals in these tweets show the extent of the damage. Whole apartment blocks have been leveled to the ground. Infrastructure in many southern cities of Turkey and Northern cities of war ravaged Syria has been destroyed as well. You can see the tweets below show some visuals of fires breaking out as gas and electricity lines become fire hazards.
Early Warning Signals
Animals are known to show certain behaviors before an earthquake occurs. These may include birds flying away or flocking together in a different location, snakes and other reptiles coming out of their hiding places, and fish swimming erratically. Scientists believe that animals can detect the seismic waves created by earthquakes before humans do.
This video posted on twitter shows someone recording birds flying at night before the earthquake struck.
Back in ancient times, people could read these signs but today such occurrences are seen as “strange behavior”. Animals have innate senses that can help them see parts of the light spectrum that we cannot, they can hear frequencies that we cannot. Closely watching animal behavior can give us that momentary edge that can mean life and death in a natural disaster situation.
This video about elephants saving tourists from the 2004 tsunami is a very well known example of animals coming to the rescue of humans. The elephants in this case, picked up sound waves of the approaching tsunami waves and refused to follow the commands of their trainers to take the tourists back to the beach. Instead the elephants ran with tourists on their backs, towards high ground. Thankfully due to these elephants, the tourists lived to tell their tale.
It is therefore very important that we learn to interpret these signs that nature sends our way. As the magnetic field of the earth weakens and poles start shifting faster, earthquakes are only going to become more frequent. Having affinity with how animal behavior changes before a natural disaster can be a useful skill in the times that are ahead of us.
Knowing the basics
In any natural disaster situation, it is absolutely vital to know survival basics. Knowing these basics can help you survive better. We have done a few posts covering earthquake survival basics. Make sure to check them out so that you are well prepared.