Massive Earthquake Rocks Turkey and Syria

Now being dubbed as “the disaster of the century,” the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has racked up tens of thousands of deaths and injuries across the two countries. 

The 7.8 magnitude quake with a 6.7 aftershock destroyed communities and caused multiple buildings to collapse, trapping hundreds of people under the rubble. 

The death toll has risen to above 34,000 at last check, which is expected to increase as days go on. 

Greece and Austria have sent rescue teams to help Syria and Turkey, and although the death toll is massive, significant rescues are still happening across the affected area. 

Although experts claim that people may survive for a week or longer, the likelihood of discovering survivors in the bitter cold is dwindling. As rescue workers and anxious family members combed through the debris in search of survivors, the emphasis shifted to tearing down potentially unsafe structures.

“There’s no hope. We can’t give up our hope in God, but they entered the building with listening devices and dogs, and there was nothing,” survivor Mehmet Yilmaz commented on the search for his family in one of the many fallen buildings. 

With the collapses of so many buildings, 113 arrest warrants were issued for those connected with any construction. Turkish police have taken at least 12 people into custody, including building contractors. Due to widespread corruption and government practices, experts have long warned that many new structures in Turkey are dangerous. 

Going forward, the World Health Organization hopes to gain approval to give medical care to survivors in Syria in an area currently held by rebel groups in an ongoing civil war.