On February 6, 2023, at 04:17 and 13:24 local time, earthquakes centered in Gaziantep with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.7 occurred in Southern and Central Turkey as well as northern and western Syria. The impact of the earthquakes was strongly felt in the surrounding areas of Gaziantep and Antakya. These earthquakes resulted in extensive damage and tens of thousands of casualties.
The seismic activity extended over an area reaching Egypt and the Black Sea coast of Turkey. Subsequently, for three months, there were more than 30,000 aftershocks.
Extensive damage occurred within a 350,000 km2 (140,000 square miles) area. An estimated 14 million people were adversely affected by these earthquakes, with development experts from the United Nations estimating that approximately 1.5 million people were left homeless.
The confirmed death toll is 50,783 in Turkey and 8,476 in Syria. This stands as the deadliest earthquake and natural disaster in contemporary Turkey. Moreover, it is the most lethal earthquake in present-day Syria since the Aleppo earthquake of 1822.
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
An earthquake survivor awaits rescue teams to extract their relatives from the debris
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Families are waiting by the remains of their loved ones who have been retrieved dead from the wreckage
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Nighttime operations continue at a large site with debris Teams are working tirelessly to extract survivors from the wreckage br br
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
On the fourth day of the earthquake a survivor is pulled out from the debris br br
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Teams are conducting search and rescue operations in a building wreckage
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Search and rescue teams are opening a hole in a completely collapsed building wreckage to reach those trapped underneath
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Earthquake survivors keep vigil at night beside the wreckage of their homes to guard against looters
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Many buildings in the city of Hatay have collapsed due to the earthquake All roads in the city are closed
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
The earthquake victim shares their meal with a street cat
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Due to the inadequacy of rescue teams large machinery is being deployed to intervene in building wreckage
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Many historical structures in the region collapsed in the severe earthquake including some 500-year-old religious buildings
When The Ground Shook: Turkey And Syria's February 6 Earthquake
Due to the high number of casualties new cemeteries have been established outside the city
