Thousands dead after earthquake - 15th February 2023

A strong earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria on 6th February. It measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, which makes it a major earthquake. This area hadn't experienced an earthquake of this strength in over 200 years. There have only been two earthquakes of this size worldwide in the last 10 years.

The earthquake shook at 4:17 am, while most people were sleeping. This caused many people to be buried under collapsed buildings. In Turkey, people believe that the buildings in the area were poorly constructed, which is responsible for the huge destruction. Due to this, authorities want to arrest 133 building planners and constructors.

Help from around the world has arrived in the region. Rescue workers have arrived with dogs and special equipment and are helping search for and save those who are trapped. Although a week has passed, rescue workers are still finding and pulling people from under the destroyed buildings. However, the number of deaths has already reached 36,000 people, and it's possible that this number will rise significantly.

There are 25 million people who live within the earthquake zone. Help has been slow to reach northeastern Syria, which has already been destroyed by a decade of conflict. Syrian authorities need to give permission for people to enter, which is making the delivery of aid challenging.