Earthquake of 7.8 was produced in Turkey, February 6, 2023: hundreds dead and thousands injured!

On the morning of February 6, 2023, around 03:30 Romanian time, a strong earthquake struck the region between Turkey and Syria, 26 kilometers from the Turkish city of Gaziantep. According to measurements, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 degrees, hitting central Turkey and northwestern Syria, killing hundreds.

Flights from Hatay Airport are suspended due to earthquake damage. The airport is in southern Turkey, close to the Syrian border and close to the city of Aleppo.

The earthquake was followed by dozens of aftershocks with magnitudes over 4 degrees, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), quoted by CNN. The strongest aftershock had a magnitude of 6.7 and was registered 11 minutes after the major earthquake.

The earthquake was felt in Cyprus, Lebanon and especially Syria, but also in Greece and Israel, according to The Guardian. At least 237 Syrians were killed and 639 wounded in Aleppo, Hama, Lattakia and Tartous, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health. Hundreds more have died in Turkey and thousands are injured. The balance sheet is not final, because there are still people trapped under the rubble.

According to Reuters, Germany's Research Center for Geosciences, GFZ, assessed the magnitude of the earthquake at 7,9 and the depth at 10 kilometers. Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) estimated the earthquake's magnitude at 7,4, with the epicenter near the southern city of Kahramanmaras.