Understand the very strong earthquake in Turkey, which generated 40 aftershocks and a 2nd earthquake

In the early hours of this Monday, the 6th, a earthquake of magnitude 7.8 that hit the southeast of Turkey and the north of Syria leaving more than 2,500 dead and thousands injured. The impact of the tremor was so great that reverberations were felt in Greenland. The tremor was felt at 4:17 am local time (22:17 on Sunday, Brasilia time) and occurred at a depth of 17.9 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS, its acronym in English). The epicenter was located in the district of Pazarcik, in the province of Kahramanmaras, in southeastern Turkey, about 60 km from the border with Syria. A new 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the region at 1:24 pm (12:24 GMT), four kilometers southeast of the town of Ekinozu, according to the USGS. There were also around 50 aftershocks. Tremors from the earthquake were felt as far away as Greenland, according to the Danish Geological Survey. Due to the time of the earthquake, at dawn, most people were sleeping in their homes.

For safety reasons, gas was cut off across the region, due to aftershocks that could trigger explosions. Iraqi Kurdistan has said it will suspend oil exports through Turkey as a precaution. This is the biggest earthquake in Turkey since August 17, 1999, which caused 17,000 deaths, 1,000 of them in Istanbul. According to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, at least three of the airports in the affected area, Hatay, Maras and Gaziantep, have been closed to traffic. The snow and storms that hit the region prevented movement at other airports, including Diyarbakir, found the AFP. The earthquake provoked scenes of panic. Many residents took to the streets despite the torrential rain. The European Union (EU) and many of its member countries have announced the deployment of aid and rescue teams. The same was done by the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, India and Ukraine, as well as Greece, Turkey’s historic rival, which promised to “make all its forces available”, said its prime minister, Kyriákos Mitsotakis. Turkey is located in one of the most active seismic zones in the world. Experts have long warned that a major earthquake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread construction without precautions. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Elazig in January 2020, killing more than 40 people. In October of that same year, another one of magnitude 7.0 shook the Aegean Sea, leaving 114 dead and over a thousand injured.

*With information from the AFP agency