Thousands dead after earthquake - 15th February 2023

In the early hours of Monday 6th February, a massive earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and areas of northwestern Syria. Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, it's considered a major earthquake, something which the area has not experienced in over 200 years.

Worldwide, there have been only two earthquakes of this magnitude in the last 10 years. However, even one of the aftershocks, which hit just a few hours later, was 7.4 magnitude.

Occurring at 4.17am, when most people were sleeping, resulted in a large number of individuals trapped as buildings crashed to the ground. In Turkey, it's believed that poor construction may also be responsible for the high level of destruction. As a result, the arrest and detention of 133 developers and contractors involved in the building work has been authorised.

International specialists have flown in with dogs and special equipment to help search for and rescue those trapped in the rubble. Miraculously, even after a week, people have continued to be rescued including a 7 month old baby. However, the death toll already stands at over 36,000 people and it's feared that this number could double.

Tens of thousands more people have been injured and across the region 25 million people are affected. Aid workers have encountered difficulties getting to northwestern Syria, already battered by over a decade of civil war, with approval needed by the Syrian authorities. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council has called for all sides to put people first.