Maysha's Blog....

Horrific Tragedic Disaster in Turkey and Syria : Earthquake. 

 Tectonic plates are huge slabs of rock that make up the Earth's surface. At fault lines, where fissures intersect these plates, these plates move continuously. Stress can occur 

as the plates grind against each other and become stuck. At some point, the strain becomes so intense that they finally break free, creating sudden motions that release energy in the form of seismic waves. The ground is shaking due to these vibrations.

 

The epicenter of an earthquake is the location below where it occurs, while the epicenter is the region above the Earth's surface. One factor that affects how destructive an earthquake is is the depth 

at which it struck.

On February 6, 2023, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake and a series of strong tremors and aftershocks struck southeastern Turkey (officially the Republic of Turkey) 

and northwestern Syria. The death toll has passed 47,000 and continues to rise. Two weeks later, on February 20, 2023, an additional 6.3 magnitude earthquake 

struck southern Turkey, causing additional 

deaths and injuries.

Earthquakes are usually relatively shallow, with strong tremors. Turkey is one of the most active earthquake regions in the world. Monday's magnitude 7.8 earthquake surpassed the magnitude 7.6 that struck the country in 1999. In August 1999 , that catastrophic earthquake shook Marmara, a densely populated area south of Istanbul, for 45 seconds. Within days, the official death 

toll stood at 37,000. More than 11,000 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria in the world's worst earthquake in more than a decade.

In Syria's current refugee crisis and a region already reeling from nearly 12 years of conflict, thousands have been injured and tens of thousands displaced. Teams of search and rescue workers around the world are focusing primarily on recovery efforts after nearly two weeks of desperately searching for more survivors. According to reports, more than 87,000 people were injured and 

at least 47,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged. 

 This photo taken on Feb. 14, 2023 that shows a man sits in the ruins of a house where his relatives lived before a deadly earthquake struck the rebel-held city of Harem in Syria's Idlib Governorate. 

16 percent of Turkey's population, or approximately 14 million people, were affected by the earthquake. UN development experts estimate that around 1.5 million people have been left homeless.

More than 55,100 deaths have been verified as of 10 March 2023: more than 47,900 in Turkey and more than 7,200 in Syria. It was the greatest natural disaster in modern Turkish history and the deadliest earthquake in present-day Turkey since the Antioch earthquake in 526. Additionally, it was the seventh deadliest earthquake of the 21st century and the deadliest in Syria since the Aleppo earthquake. It was the fourth 

costliest earthquake of 1822 on record, with losses of $100 billion in Turkey and $5.1 billion in Syria. Search and rescue forces, 5,000 health workers and 30,000 volunteers   are following Turkey. 

We cannot even imagine what will happen 

if such a situation arises in Bangladesh like Turkey and Syria . Geological experts say  that the area from Sylhet to Chittagong is prone to earthquakes due to the presence of multiple plates in the region. If there is an earthquake on these fault lines, there is a 

risk of major damage or disaster in all of Bangladesh including Dhaka. The last major earthquakes in Bangladesh occurred in 1822 and 1918 on the Madhupur fault. In 1885, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred in Manikganj near Dhaka.

Experts say that multi-storied buildings have been constructed in Dhaka city in violation 

of building code and land type regulations. Buildings built on red soil or hard soil are less vulnerable. On the other hand, buildings built on sand and soft soil are more prone 

to collapse. Ironically, many buildings in 

and around Dhaka are built on swampy 

land filled with sand and soft soil. So a separate land computer can cause major disasters. 

But the sad thing is that despite all of us knowing about the terrible damage caused 

by earthquakes, no one is aware of it. Day after day, multi-storied buildings are continuously being constructed by filling 

up the swamps without planning, the consequences of which may take a more 

dire form in the future. Maybe even worse than Turkey and Syria is waiting for Bangladesh.