Turkey, Syria: Response operations continue amid rising death toll following series of earthquakes in southern Turkey as of Feb. 13 /update 11

Event

Response operations continue amid widespread disruptions across parts of southern and east-central Turkey and northwestern Syria as of Feb. 13 following the series of major earthquakes in the region Feb. 6. As of early Feb. 13, casualty reports indicate more than 29,600 deaths in Turkey and more than 4,500 deaths in Syria; more than 80,000 others have been injured in Turkey and over 7,000 in Syria. The death toll will almost certainly increase in the coming days. Rescue efforts remain underway to find people trapped in the rubble and isolated cases of survivors being found are still occurring; however, rescue operations have concluded in some areas, including Kilis and Sanliurfa provinces in Turkey and northern and northwestern Syria, and attention is increasingly turning to the humanitarian needs of the hundreds of thousands of displaced survivors. More than 75,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas of Turkey, and many more are being housed in temporary accommodations across the region. Around 24.4 million people are estimated to have been affected by the earthquakes across Turkey and Syria. Aftershocks are still ongoing in the region as of Feb. 13; however, these are starting to decline in intensity and frequency. Cold temperatures also continue to hamper ongoing response efforts.

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake occurred around 37 km (23 miles) west-northwest of Gaziantep at around 04:17 Feb. 6 and has been followed by hundreds of moderate-to-strong aftershocks, including a magnitude-6.7 tremor at around 04:28. Following the first major quake, a magnitude-7.5 earthquake occurred near Ekinozu in Kahramanmaras Province at around 13:24 Feb. 6 and has also been followed by a number of significant aftershocks, including a magnitude-6.0 earthquake at around 15:02 Feb. 6. The ongoing seismic activity is likely causing further damage to buildings weakened by preceding tremors.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the provincial governor's building in Adiyaman Feb. 8 to protest against an alleged inadequate response by authorities to the earthquakes. Further protests associated with the authorities handling of the earthquake response may occur across the affected regions over the coming days.

Authorities in Turkey declared a three-month state of emergency in ten southern provinces Feb. 7. Extensive structural damage has been reported across Adana, Aiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmnaiye, and Sanliurfa provinces, with more than 6,000 collapsed buildings across the affected areas and countless others damaged. The General Directorate of Highways announced that all main arteries in the country were operational as of Feb. 8; however, some routes in and around the affected areas are blocked due to snowfall accumulations and landslides. The latest information on the status of roads can be found by clicking here.

Hatay Airport (HTY) reopened Feb. 12 after repairs to the runway were completed. All other airports in the affected area are open as of early Feb. 13; however, aid cargo is generally being prioritized over civilian flights. Power and internet outages are ongoing in parts of southern Turkey, and damages have been reported along natural gas distribution lines. Oil flows through the port of Ceyhan were temporarily suspended Feb. 6-7. Operations have also been disrupted at the port of Iskenderun in Hatay Province after the earthquake caused structural damage and triggered a fire that has been extinguished as of Feb. 8 and the port is fully operational as of Feb. 10. Authorities in Turkey have issued warrants for the detention of 131 people suspected of being responsible for collapsed buildings; bad construction is suspected to have multiplied the damage.

In Syria, severe damage has been reported across parts of Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Tartus provinces. At least 2,000 buildings have been destroyed and more than 5,000 are damaged across parts of northwestern Syria. More than 400 fatalities have been reported and over 60,000 people have lost their homes in the city of Aleppo. The White Helmets civil defense agency has declared a disaster zone in northwestern Syria due to the extensive damage caused. Access to the only UN-approved border crossing with Turkey, at Bab al-Hawa in Idlib Province, has been hindered by damage to surrounding roads; however, the first convoys managed to pass through the crossing Feb. 9 and further convoys passed through Feb. 10.

Further strong-to-moderate aftershocks are likely over the coming days. Ongoing utility outages are likely, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.

Advice

Consider avoiding nonessential travel to the impacted area. If operating in the area, vacate multistoried buildings or unreinforced structures in areas where strong shaking occurred; aftershocks could cause additional damage. Cellular networks may be overwhelmed; use text messaging if services are available. Due to the threat of landslides, seek updated information on road conditions before driving in hilly areas in the affected area.