'Unending Pain' Earthquake Strikes Turkey Again, 1,000 Dead

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo Yujin] The death toll has increased by more than 1,000 just one day after an additional earthquake struck T?rkiye (Turkey). Two weeks after the earthquake that claimed 47,000 lives in T?rkiye and Syria, the occurrence of an additional earthquake is expected to accelerate the rate of increase in fatalities again.

According to AP News and others on the 21st (local time), T?rkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced that the cumulative death toll after the additional strong earthquake reached 42,310. This is an increase of 1,154 from the previous day's count of 41,156. The death toll reported by Syrian authorities and rebel groups is 5,814. The total official death toll combining both countries now reaches 48,124.

The death toll, which had been showing a gradual increase, accelerated again after the additional magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred around 8 a.m. on the 20th. This additional earthquake originated near Antakya in T?rkiye, and the tremors spread as far as Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt. It was followed by about 90 aftershocks and a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.

As with the first earthquake on the 6th, the scale of damage has not been clearly assessed, so the number of casualties is expected to rise sharply. AFAD reported that 18 people are in critical condition, including 6 deaths caused by the additional earthquake, and 294 people have been confirmed injured. Local media reported that in Syria, one woman in Hama province and one girl in Tartus province were confirmed dead.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated a 46% probability that the death toll from the additional earthquake could be between 100 and 1,000. There is also a 29% chance that it could reach between 1,000 and 10,000.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Local media also reported cases where people who went to collect belongings from buildings damaged by the previous strong earthquake were buried under collapsed buildings due to aftershocks. AP News reported that among the deceased, three people lost their lives after being buried when the additional earthquake struck while they were collecting belongings from collapsed houses.

T?rkiye's DHA News Agency reported that rescue operations have become difficult due to aftershocks and the risk of further building collapses, and that search teams are taking several hours just to find bodies.

Currently, rescue operations have ended in most affected areas, with survivor searches ongoing only in the two provinces of Kahramanmara? and Hatay. Luisa Vinton, head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in T?rkiye, said, "The occurrence of the additional earthquake has increased the debris to up to 210 million tons," adding, "Clearing the debris will be an enormous task requiring an area of 7 million square meters (approximately 2.12 million pyeong)."

Although relief efforts for displaced persons are being strengthened by the authorities of T?rkiye and Syria, harsh conditions persist. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an stated that as of the previous day, 865,000 people are living in tents and 23,500 in containers. Currently, about 270 tents have been set up in the affected areas to accommodate displaced persons, but they are exposed to winter cold and suffering from shortages of food and drinking water.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.