Ajit Karn
Monday, a magnitude 4.0 Richter scale earthquake hits afsin. earthquake occurred 23 kilometers southwest Afsin, Turkey, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). As of yet, no casualties have been reported.
At 04:25:57 (UTC 05:30), the earthquake hits Afsin, Turkey at a depth of 10 kilometers. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 38.078°N and 36.7622°E, according to the USGS.
This occurred approximately two months after a much more devastating earthquake devastated the same region. The tremor was preceded by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck 11 Turkish provinces, including Malatya, on February 6, 2023.
The quake on February 6 caused more than 48,000 deaths in both Turkey and Syria, as well as the collapse or severe devastation of 173,000 buildings in Turkey. Since then, the region has experienced nearly 10,000 aftershocks, making it hazardous for people to enter damaged structures.
In one of the world’s most active seismic zones, the earthquake struck densely populated areas as people slept in homes that were not designed to withstand such intense tremors.
The disaster has placed pressure on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the slow response to the earthquake and why his government permitted the construction of such low-quality structures.
After a 1999 earthquake in northwestern Turkey killed more than 17,000 people, Turkish officials pledged to strengthen building regulations.
According to media reports, more than 84,000 buildings collapsed, require immediate demolition, or were gravely damaged in the February 6 earthquake.
Dozens of contractors have been arrested as the government vows to clamp down on lax building standards.
Antakya, an ancient crossroads of civilizations, was one of the areas that incurred the most damage in Turkey’s earthquake.
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The city has experienced numerous earthquakes — nearly one every 100 years — and is accustomed to reconstruction.
