Environment Environmental disasters Earthquake

The tragic death toll of the earthquake is over 45 thousand people

Earthquake in Turkey, one month later: 214 thousand buildings collapsed

Here's how Turkish cities changed after the magnitude 7.8 quake, and the subsequent earthquake swarm, which hit the country on the night between 5 and 6 February

06/03/2023

214,6 buildings collapsed, to be demolished and severely damaged in Turkey, following the earthquake of 11 February. A figure made known by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, shortly before a summit convened to decide the measures to be implemented in the 7 provinces affected by the violent earthquake of magnitude 8.<>. So Turkish cities have changed their appearance, as evidenced by these images circulating on the net documenting a recent but now distant past. What remains is death and destruction.

The collapses were followed by arrests: 218 people ended up in handcuffs as part of the earthquake investigation. Already less than a week after the devastating earthquake, which caused the death of at least 45 thousand people, Ankara had arrested several building contractors responsible for the construction of some of the collapsed buildings.

The recovery will be long according to European Union estimates: "The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last month had a devastating impact: tens of thousands of people lost their lives and the number of victims is continuing to rise; hundreds of thousands of people are displaced, in severe winter weather conditions; millions affected on both sides of the border; Entire cities have become rubble. The impact in the affected provinces in Turkey and northern Syria has been strong and will last for a long time," said European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič.