5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Turkey: Latest Updates and Implications

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Turkey: Latest Updates and Implications

Turkey, reported that on Monday(27 Feb, 2023), a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck southern Turkey. This occurred three weeks after a devastating quake that devastated the region and killed at least one person. The quake caused some buildings that were already damaged to collapse.

Yunus Sezer, the head of the country's disaster management agency, AFAD, told reporters that the quake on Monday that was centered in the town of Yesilyurt in the province of Malatya left more than 100 people injured. Over two dozen buildings gave way.

In Yesilyurt, an injured father and daughter were rescued from beneath the wreckage of a four-story building. To get their belongings, they had entered the damaged building.

HaberTurk reported that search-and-rescue teams were sorting through the rubble of two damaged buildings in Malatya that fell on some parked cars. It was unclear whether anyone was entangled beneath the rubble.

Malatya was one of 11 Turkish provinces that were affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb. 6, which was devastating parts of northern Syria and southern Turkey.

Over 48,000 people died in both countries as a result of that earthquake, and 185,000 buildings in Turkey collapsed or suffered serious damage.

Strong aftershocks continue to be a danger, according to the head of AFAD, who urged people not to enter damaged buildings. Since Feb. 6, the region has been hit by more than 10,000 aftershocks.

The massive earthquake, the World Bank estimated on Monday, resulted in "direct damages" of $34.2 billion, or 4% of the country's GDP in 2021.

According to the World Bank, the cost of recovery and reconstruction could double, and GDP losses would also increase the cost of the earthquake.

Additionally, the World Bank estimated that 1.25 million individuals were temporarily homeless.

In the meantime, during a match on Sunday, supporters of the Turkish soccer team Besiktas threw stuffed animals onto the field in support of earthquake-affected children. Toys and winter clothing were scattered on the stadium's grounds for distribution to earthquake-affected children.