Over 1,800 have been reported to be dead as of the evening of February 6, 2023, in Turkey and Syria, due to the earthquake. Reports suggest that this is one of the worst earthquakes in the recent history of mankind. The impact of the earthquake was so strong that the tremors were felt as far away as Greenland.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the densely populated regions of Turkey, which are filled with millions of people who have fled Syria as a result of the conflict. The initial earthquake was followed by a couple of other big blows to the same region.
“It is the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the centre,” said Raed Ahmed, Head of Syria’s National Earthquake Centre.
Here are a few similar instances from recent history which shook the world –
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China (May 2008) – 90,000 deaths
In the country’s worst natural disaster in over a century, close to 90,000 people died. An earthquake of 7.9 magnitudes struck the central part of the country, the Sichuan province, which resulted in this monstrous loss. Besides the deaths, close to 5 million were left homeless in the then-most populated country on the planet.
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Pakistan (October 2005) – 80,000 deaths
A 7.6-magnitude earthquake caused havoc in the mountains of Pakistan as it left over 80,000 people dead. Besides the death toll, the earthquake even changed the topography of northern Pakistan, as it triggered severe landslides in the Kashmir region. The disaster was only 60 miles away from the capital city of Islamabad.
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Indonesia (December 2004) – 2,30,000 deaths
Earthquakes in an extremely dense region of the country shook the country. The 9.1-magnitude earthquake was recorded to be the worst of its kind in over four decades. The earthquake even spurred a Tsunami which affected other countries from the continent.
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Haiti (January 2010) – 3,16,000 deaths
An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude killed a whooping 3,16,000 people in Haiti. The quake was centred around the capital of the place, Port-au-Prince. The disaster also led to 1.5 million people losing their homes. The effects of the earthquake were so grave that several people have still not recovered from the losses.
