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Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

Turkey-Syria earthquakes lasted two minutes, Ankara-based emergency official says

3,858 aftershocks were recorded

ANKARA, February 15. /TASS/. The two most powerful earthquakes that rocked Turkey recently lasted a total of two minutes, Orhan Tatar, General Director for Earthquake Risk Reduction at the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), said in Ankara on Wednesday.

"The total duration of the two earthquakes was two minutes. The epicenters were 8.5 and 10 kilometers deep. The ground moved 7.3 meters. In addition, we recorded 3,858 aftershocks," he specified.

"A total of 30 quadrillion joules of energy was released. The earthquakes directly affected an area of 111,000 square kilometers, which exceeds the size of many countries in Europe and the region. Tremors were felt in every part of our country and in neighboring countries," Tatar specified.

"Heavy snowfalls have already begun or are expected to begin in a number of the country’s regions. Given the scale of the damage and the changes in [terrain], there is a high risk of avalanches and mudslides, as well as the risk of soil collapses and landslides," the AFAD official added.

Earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province in the country’s southeast on February 6. The tremors, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, were felt in ten Turkish provinces, as well as in neighboring countries, including Syria. Over 35,000 people were killed and more than 105,000 suffered injuries in Turkey.

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Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

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