A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit the border between southern Turkey and northern Syria in the early morning of the 6th local time. Some experts pointed out that the last earthquake of the same magnitude in the same area was 200 years ago.

(Reuters)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter Scale hit the border between southern Turkey and northern Syria in the early morning of the 6th local time. The death toll has exceeded 4,300.

Some experts pointed out that the reason for this catastrophic earthquake is not only the "earthquake power" and "shock resistance of buildings", but also the fact that many people died in their sleep when the incident happened in the early morning, and the last earthquake of the same magnitude in the same area has It was 200 years ago that the degree of preparedness against earthquakes was slightly insufficient.

According to a BBC report, Professor Joanna Faure Walker, director of the Institute of Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London (UCL), said in an interview, "In the past 10 years, there have only been two major earthquakes that have caused There will be only four such serious mass casualties in the next 10 years.” He also pointed out that there have been no similar major earthquakes or any warning signs in the disaster-stricken area for more than 200 years. The level of preparedness is slightly lower than that of other earthquake-prone areas.

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According to another report, the reason for the serious damage and thousands of deaths and injuries was not only the power of the earthquake, but also because the disaster occurred in the early hours of the morning, when most people were sleeping at home, so there was not enough time to escape, which led to Heavy casualties occurred.

In addition, the strength of local buildings is also a factor.

Carmen Solana, a PhD in volcanology and risk communication at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, said, "In southern Turkey, especially Syria, the earthquake-resistant infrastructure is not perfect, and today we can only rely on disasters. Response measures to save people's lives", and pointed out that the 24-hour search for survivors after the disaster is crucial. "After 48 hours, the number of survivors will be greatly reduced."

The report also explained that the disaster was caused by the northward movement of the Arabian Plate, which collided with and rubbed against the Anatolian Plate in Turkey, resulting in a very destructive earthquake.

In the past, these two plates triggered a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on August 13, 1822, which caused great damage to towns in the 19th century and caused 7,000 deaths in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. Sexual aftershocks even lasted for nearly a year.

Do #earthquakes and #tectonicplates have a two-way relationship?

A large earthquake in #Turkey in 1999 changed the motion of the entire #AnatolianPlate, according to a new study. Read more on @AGU_Eos ➡️ https://t.co/ XR8lI5SRg5 pic.twitter.com/Ir8zYksUme

— Raspberry Shake (@raspishake) October 18, 2022