Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria

Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria
1 / 6
In this video grab from AFP TV taken on Feb. 6, 2023, rescuers search for victims of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Diyarbakir, in southeastern Turkey. (AFPTV / AFP)
Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria
2 / 6
Rescuers evacuate a victim from an 8-story building that collapsed in Hama, Syria after an 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Turkiye on Feb. 6, 2023. (SANA handout via AFP)
Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria
3 / 6
Rescuers evacuate a victim from an 8-story building that collapsed in Hama, Syria after an 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Turkiye on Feb. 6, 2023. (SANA handout via AFP)
Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria
4 / 6
Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria
5 / 6
Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria
6 / 6
Short Url
Updated 07 February 2023

Two massive quakes leave thousands dead, others missing in Turkiye and Syria

Rescuers carry a body found in the rubble in Adana on February 6, 2023, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country
  • At least 3,800 people dead after huge earthquakes
  • Tremors felt across the region in Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq

ANKARA: A second earthquake of at least 7.5 magnitude rocked Turkiye and neighboring Syria less than 12 hours after the border areas were hit by a quake measuring 7.8, killing more than 3,400 people, with many others missing or injured on Monday morning. 

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck just after 4 a.m. local time on Monday, 23 kilometerseast of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers, according to data from the United States Geological Survey.

Churches, hospitals and residential tower blocks are among the hundreds of buildings razed to the ground - their occupants trapped under the rubble, caught unaware by the massive quake.  

The second quake struck at 1:45 p.m. local time.

Tremors from aftershocks continued throughout the day and were felt as far as Beirut in Lebanon and in Iraq's Duhok and Erbil. 

Officials in Turkiye said the official death toll stood at 2,379, with 14,483 people injured. Although, both figures were expected to rise.

Meanwhile in Syria, the number was placed at more than 1,500 dead according to officials in government-held and rebel-held areas. 

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck just after 4 a.m. local time on Monday, 23 kilometerseast of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers, according to data from the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake caused devastation across both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border claiming hundreds of lives.

The quake was so strong that tremors were felt in Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Egypt.

 

A hospital in the southeastern Sanliurfa province was completely destroyed by the earthquake, with many patients remaining trapped beneath the rubble.

Rescue workers and residents frantically searched for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings in various cities on both sides of the border. In one quake-struck Turkish city, people frantically pulled away chunks of concrete and twisted metal. People on the street shouted up to others inside a partially toppled apartment building, leaning dangerously.

Berivan Gokoglu, an engineer, was involved in rescue efforts in Sanliurfa's Yenisehir district with her medic husband, and told Arab News: “We rescued one old lady from the fifth floor of a building along with two children, but now we cannot rescue any one living, we are out of hope.”

She continued: “Many of these buildings have columns removed when shopping malls are constructed on the first floors, the most damaged buildings have been those which had shops on the first floor as they lacked columns to support the building.”

In the Turkish city of Adana, one resident said three buildings near his home collapsed. “I don’t have the strength anymore,” one survivor could be heard calling out from beneath the rubble, as rescue workers tried to reach him, said Muhammet Fatih Yavus a resident.

Further east in Diyarbakir, cranes and rescue teams rushed people on stretchers out of a mountain of pancaked concrete floors that was once an apartment building.

 

(The above video was made by Misel Uyar, Iskenderun/Hatay)

Aftershocks followed throughout the day, Turkish authorities said, until the second quake hit, of at least 7.5 magnitude. 

Ozcan Karakoc, a teacher in a state-run school in Diyarbakir, ran to the school building when he felt the first quake.

He joined others in the humanitarian efforts in a sports facility next to the school building, providing blankets and food to those who were rescued from the debris of collapsed buildings.

The school is situated in the relatively low income Baglar district, one of the worst-hit areas of the earthquake.

“I live in Seyrantepe district of Diyarbakir where buildings were relatively new and we didn’t have so much damage inside the houses. But the building next to our school is old and about eight-storeys tall, where more than 200 people were living. It collapsed like a paper tower in seconds,” Karakoc told Arab News.

This unverified video was posted on Twitter

Like many Karakoc now waits for news from his students who are living in regions of Diyarbakir affected by the quake, mostly from Baglar. He is concerned that some of them might be trapped in the debris.

In Diyarbakir the streets are full of anxious people of all ages, including children, in pajamas and braving the freezing temperatures outside.

Diyarbakir resident, Berrak Demirel, was sleeping when the earthquake struck the city. She walked out of her home, with her husband and children, after the second aftershock of the first quake.

She said they waited for several hours outside, adding: “But had to come back home due to the freezing weather conditions in the city. Everyone was frightened, especially children in the middle of dark streets and turmoil,” she told Arab News.

In Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkiye’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers to the northeast the first quake caused buildings to topple to the ground.

Also in Syria, the first quake smashed opposition-held regions that are packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of Syria by the country’s long civil war. Many of them were already living in destitute conditions with little health care, with Russian-backed Syrian forces surrounding the area and sometimes carrying out airstrikes. Rescue workers said hospitals in the area were packed.

“We fear that the deaths are in the hundreds,” Muheeb Qaddour, a doctor, said by phone from the town of Atmeh, referring to the entire rebel-held area. Raed Salah, the head of the White Helmets, the emergency organization in opposition areas, said whole neighborhoods were collapsed in some areas.

The quake, felt as far away as Cairo, was centered north of the city of Gaziantep in an area about 90 kilometers from the Syrian border.
On the Turkish side, the area has several large cities and is home to millions of Syrian refugees.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the quake.
“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,” he wrote.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks. “Our priority is to bring out people trapped under ruined buildings and to transfer them to hospitals,” he said.
At least 130 buildings tumbled down in Turkiye’s Malatya province, neighboring the epicenter, Gov. Hulusi Sahin said. In the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, at least 15 buildings collapsed. Rescue teams called for silence as they listed for survivors in a toppled 11-story building.
In northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation in the rebel-held region as “disastrous” adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble. The civil defense urged people to evacuate buildings to gather in open areas. Emergency rooms were full of injured, said Amjad Rass, president of the Syrian American Medical Society.

US President Biden directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess response options to the most affected areas in the Turkiye and Syria earthquake, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Sunday.
The US is profoundly concerned by the reports of the destructive earthquake, he said.
The US Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 33 kilometers from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was centered 18 kilometers deep, and a strong 6.7 aftershock rumbled about 10 minutes later.
Syria’s state media reported that some buildings collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Hama.
In Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear.

The quake jolted residents in Lebanon from beds, shaking buildings for about 40 seconds. Many residents of Beirut left their homes and took to the streets or drove in their cars away from buildings.
The earthquake came as the Middle East is experiencing a snowstorm that is expected to continue until Thursday.
Turkiye sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.
Some 18,000 were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkiye in 1999.

The earthquake came as the Middle East is experiencing a snowstorm that is expected to continue until Thursday.

This unverified video was posted on Twitter

Citizens from as far as Jerusalem and Beirut talked of being awakened by the strong shaking. "I live in Gaziantep, Türkiye.  Was sleeping when it started. Absolutely terrifying," Nasip (@iam_nasib) commented on a video posted on Twitter.

"Felt it in Jerusalem," said Amy di Nardò (@amybellabella).

Sagittarius (@JRsagittarius) said he was in Beirut and the experience "was terrifying."

Karolingston (@karolingston) of Cyprus said he was awakened because "My bed was shaking."

"Felt it in Lebanon. It was a hell of a feeling!" chimed in CharbelRahmé (@charbelrahm_e)

Turkiye is in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones. Duzce was one of the regions hit by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999 — the worst to hit Turkiye in decades.

That quake killed more than 17,000 people, including about 1,000 in Istanbul.

Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread building without safety precautions.

A magnitude-6.8 quake hit Elazig in January 2020, killing more than 40 people. And in October that year, a magnitude-7.0 quake hit the Aegean Sea, killing 114 people and wounding more than 1,000.

(With Agencies)


US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks -White House

US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks -White House
Updated 58 min 33 sec ago

US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks -White House

US will not back off Syria mission despite deadly attacks -White House
  • Syria’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned US strikes, saying Washington had lied about what was targeted and pledging to “end the American occupation” of its territory

WASHINGTON: The United States will not back away from its nearly eight-year-old deployment to Syria, where it is battling the remnants of Daesh, despite attacks on US forces there last week by Iran-backed militia, the White House said on Monday.
A one-way attack drone struck a US base in Syria on March 23, killing an American contractor, injuring another and wounding five US troops.
That triggered US retaliatory air strikes and exchanges of fire that a Syrian war monitoring group said killed three Syrian troops, 11 Syrian fighters in pro-government militias and five non-Syrian fighters who were aligned with the government.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said he was not aware of any additional attacks over the past 36 hours but cautioned, “We’re going to stay vigilant.”
Kirby also referred to President Joe Biden’s remarks on Friday, in which Biden warned Iran that the United States would act forcefully to protect Americans.
“There’s been no change in the US footprint in Syria as a result of what happened the last few days,” Kirby said, adding the mission against Daesh would continue.
“We’re not going to be deterred ... by these attacks from these militant groups.”
Syria’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned US strikes, saying Washington had lied about what was targeted and pledging to “end the American occupation” of its territory.
Iran’s foreign ministry also condemned the strikes, accusing US forces of targeting “civilian sites.”
US forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama administration’s campaign against Daesh, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. There are about 900 US troops in Syria, most of them in the east.
Prior to the latest spate of attacks, US troops in Syria had been attacked by Iranian-backed groups about 78 times since the beginning of 2021, according to the US military.
Iran has been a major backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad during Syria’s 12-year conflict.
Iran’s proxy militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah and pro-Tehran Iraqi groups, hold sway in swathes of eastern, southern and northern Syria and in suburbs around the capital, Damascus.

 


Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 

Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 
Updated 28 March 2023

Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 

Yemeni leaders vow to resist renewed Houthi assault 
  • International envoys criticize militia attacks and call for de-escalation

AL-MUKALLA, Yemen: Yemen’s presidential council has promised to confront the “terrorist” Houthis and called for resistance as international envoys criticized the militia’s renewed assault.

The council, chaired by Rashad Al-Alimi, said the latest Houthi attacks, primarily in Marib and Shabwa, demonstrated that the militia had no wish to end the war. It promised to thwart their advances and said it would help people in Houthi-controlled areas to resist their domination.

“The council urged the international community to recognize the gravity of this terrorist escalation, with the continuous smuggling of additional Iranian weaponry to militias, and the disastrous consequences for world peace and security,” the council was quoted by the SABA news agency as saying.

It did not specify how it would respond but pledged to “take all steps necessary to protect public interests and deter terrorist groups.”

The eight-man presidential council has faced increasing public pressure to launch counter-strikes since the militia attacked oil installations in Hadramout and Shabwa provinces last year.

The Houthis have made minor advances in Shabwa and Marib since early last week, targeting government forces with heavy weaponry and explosive drones.

The Houthis seized some villages in Marib’s Hareb and Shabwa’s Merkhah Al-Ulya districts before government troops received reinforcements and pushed them back.

The militia also attempted to assassinate Taiz Governor Nabeil Shamsan, targeting his car with artillery and missiles on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Western ambassadors in Yemen have condemned the renewed attacks and urged the Houthis to de-escalate and comply with efforts to end the war.

Richard Oppenheim, the British ambassador, said the militia must “cease their provocative actions and show genuine commitment to peace in Yemen.”

Steven Fagin, the US ambassador, said: “We condemn the recent Houthi escalation in Taiz and Marib, which led to fatalities, and express our condolences to the victims' families. 

“The Houthis must stop exacerbating Yemenis’ suffering and support a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”

Yemeni government officials say that the Houthi escalation coincided with the eighth anniversary of the Arab coalition’s military intervention to show that they had not been defeated.

“The Houthis took advantage of the anniversary of Decisive Storm and Ramadan to demonstrate their might,” a Yemeni government official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Arab News.


2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos
Updated 28 March 2023

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos
  • New light shed on King Ramesses II and Ptolemaic era from 332 B.C. to 30 B.C.
  • These and other animals found may have been sacrificed to the gods

CAIRO: The American archaeological mission affiliated with New York University, working in the area of ​​the temple of King Ramesses II in Abydos, southern Egypt, has uncovered more than 2,000 mummified ram heads dating back to the Ptolemaic era (332 B.C. to 30 B.C.), in addition to a huge building from the Sixth Dynasty.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, an institution entrusted with the protection of Egyptian heritage, said the find was important because it reveals more details about the history of the Temple of King Ramesses II in Abydos Sohag governorate and the surrounding area.

He said the mission also uncovered a number of mummified animals next to the heads of the rams, including ewes, dogs, wild goats, cows, deer and mongooses. They were found in one of the newly discovered storage rooms inside the northern area of the temple.

Sameh Iskandar, the head of the mission, said the mummified rams are thought to have been used as votive offerings in Abydos during the Ptolemaic period.

Meanwhile, the huge uncovered building, which dates back to the era of the Sixth Dynasty, is characterized by a unique architectural design. It is distinguished by huge, thick walls, which are about five meters wide.

Iskandar said the study of this building would contribute to the research being undertaken about the activities and architecture of the Old Kingdom in Abydos.

Mohamed Abdel Badei, head of the central department of Upper Egypt Antiquities at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the mission also succeeded in uncovering parts of the northern wall of the edifice surrounding the temple and its appurtenances.

The team also uncovered fragments of statues, papyri, remains of ancient trees, clothing and leather shoes.

Abydos is one of the oldest ancient cities in Upper Egypt, and contains many important structures, including the Temple of Seti I and the Temple of Ramses II.


What’s on the iftar menu this Ramadan?

Muslims breaking their fast at a free public iftar in Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. (AP)
Muslims breaking their fast at a free public iftar in Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. (AP)
Updated 28 March 2023

What’s on the iftar menu this Ramadan?

Muslims breaking their fast at a free public iftar in Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. (AP)
  • The government has been working to help those struggling with the cost of living, with Ahlan Ramadan discounted outlets playing a big part in securing families’ needs ahead of the holy month

CAIRO: Egyptians are heading into the holy month this year with economic concerns that will prevent them from going all out with their celebrations of Ramadan, and result in overflowing dining tables not creaking quite so much as usual.

The first day of Ramadan usually means a busy kitchen as everyone lends a hand to prepare the feast. It requires bringing out the fancy china for special guests, so that when the Maghrib prayer starts everyone is gathered around an impressive dining table full of soups, juices, duck, meat, and an assortment of carbs.

This year might be different as Egyptians continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis. February’s inflation rate jumped to 31.9 percent, a five-and-a-half-year high, according to official data.

Food prices led the jump with a 61.8 percent annual increase, with poultry prices leading the way.

This jump in inflationary pressures, paired with the Egyptian pound’s continued depreciation against the US dollar and other currencies, has hit people’s purchasing powers.

This will result in the iftar table being emptier than usual this time around.

Menna Mahmoud, who has three children, said: “This year we will definitely cut back on inviting people over for iftar.

“Our food spending is so high and our salaries are not able to cover our usual level of living. We have had to stop buying name brands and switch to generic products.

“Meats have become so expensive and you can’t really host an iftar without a variety of meat dishes, so we decided to keep our hospitality scarce this Ramadan season. We can’t afford to host as many people as we once did.”

The government has been working to help those struggling with the cost of living, with Ahlan Ramadan discounted outlets playing a big part in securing families’ needs ahead of the holy month.

The outlets sell rice, oils, sugar, flour, poultry, fish, vegetables, and other items, at a 25-30 percent discount. The state has thousands of Ahlan Ramadan outlets to ensure all families are able to get their hands on essentials.

Bank teller Mohamed Abdo, a father of three, said: “Things are significantly more expensive these days but Ramadan isn’t about fancy dinner tables and piles of food.

“It is about bringing family and friends together, so even if we’re breaking our fast with just cheese sandwiches, we will invite people over.”

Ramadan was hit by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, while last year a global wheat shortage resulted from the Ukraine conflict. This time economic concerns are the issue, but people are still keen to celebrate.

 

 


UK charity Penny Appeal takes part in humanitarian aid event in Dubai

UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid, Development Conference
UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid, Development Conference
Updated 27 March 2023

UK charity Penny Appeal takes part in humanitarian aid event in Dubai

UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid, Development Conference
  • The aim of the event was to gather aid experts and organizers to address the needs of communities affected by crises and disasters
  • The charity said it wants to find ways it can offer more aid at a time charities face greater demands to support vulnerable people affected by ever-greater levels of poverty

DUBAI: UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition.

The annual event gathers decision-makers from non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, charities and governmental bodies, along with aid workers, educators, and construction businesses from the private sector, to address the needs of communities affected by crises and disasters.

During the event, which ran from March 21 to 23, Penny Appeal said it highlighted its work around the world while networking with other participants.

Ridwana Wallace-Laher, the charity’s CEO, said the aim of participating was to find ways in which it can offer further aid at a time when charities are facing greater demand to support vulnerable people who are affected by ever-greater levels of poverty.

By forging partnerships with other organizations, she added, Penny Appeal aims to combine resources, exchange best practices, and coordinate efforts so that aid can be delivered more effectively.