Strong earthquake kills hundreds in Turkey and Syria: Live updates

Seismologists fear that the quake, which struck a densely populated area of ​​southeastern Turkey and was felt as far away as Israel and Cyprus, was strong and shallow enough to be deadly on a devastating scale. Authorities in Syria and Turkey have said at least 200 people have died and expect the death toll to rise.

The quake, which struck at 4:17 a.m., according to the USGS, had a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. Earthquakes can be much stronger, experts said, but what matters more than numerical magnitude is the relative strength along with location — whether many people live nearby — and depth, or whether an earthquake is shallow enough to affect a wide area. .

In a report released about 30 minutes after the quake, experts at the USGS said there was a 34 percent chance of 100 to 1,000 deaths, and a 31 percent chance of deaths between 1,000 and 10,000.

“Severe damage is likely, and the disaster is likely to be widespread,” the report said. Economic losses have been estimated at up to 1 percent of Turkey’s gross domestic product.

The energy released by the quake was equivalent to about 32 petajoules, enough to power New York City for more than four days, said Januka Atanayake, a seismologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

“In terms of energy, the magnitude 7.8 that occurred is 708 times stronger than magnitude 5.9,” he said, referring to the example of an earthquake in Melbourne, Australia, in 2021, in which the city sustained some minor damage.

The strength of earthquakes is measured on a scale known as the local intensity scale. The earlier version was known as the Richter scale. It’s a logarithmic scale: for every integer that goes up, the amount of energy released by an earthquake increases by about 32 times.

But the potential damage of an earthquake depends on much more than its magnitude, as the population density of a given area as well as the shallowness of the epicenter contribute to the level of destruction, with a shallow earthquake carrying the potential for more damage. This was about 10 miles deep.

Another important factor is the quality of building construction in the area. The USGS report noted that “the population in this area resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to seismic vibrations, although there are some resistant structures,” adding: “The predominant building types at risk are unreinforced brick masonry and unsupported low-rise concrete frame To press with filler. Build.”

The earthquake, while far from the strongest the world has seen in recent decades, could be particularly dangerous because of its location and shallow depth, said seismologist Susan Hough of the US Geological Survey, in a Twitter post.

At the lower end of the scale, a magnitude 1 earthquake would be a small earthquake, imperceptible to humans. A magnitude 7 earthquake has been described by seismologists as having “energy equivalent to about 32 Hiroshima atomic bombs,” Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told The Times in 2013.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey was classified as a “major” earthquake. Other earthquakes of similar magnitude included the 2013 earthquake in Pakistan, which killed about 825 people, and the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal, when nearly 9,000 people were killed.

This quake seems to be one in a chain, said Dr Atanayake, a Melbourne seismologist. A long fault line about 1,500 kilometers, or 930 miles, dividing the Eurasian plate to the north from the Anatolian plate to the south has caused several earthquakes of magnitude 6.7 or greater since 1939.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos