24/7 Space News
SHAKE AND BLOW
Turkey quake cuts village in two
Turkey quake cuts village in two
By Joris Fioriti
Demirkopru, Turkey (AFP) Feb 18, 2023

The small, grey house in southern Turkey that once looked out onto the road might appear untouched by last week's huge earthquake but it is now one floor lower.

Surrounding the building in Demirkopru village, home to 1,000 people, are bits of debris floating in murky water, broken pavements and lopsided houses.

The February 6 earthquake and its aftershocks that ravaged swathes of Turkey and Syria and killed more than 44,000 people has split Demirkopru in two.

"The houses sank four metres (13 feet)," said Mahir Karatas, a 42-year-old farmer and owner of the grey house. "The ground went up and down."

Half a dozen buildings, close to Karatas' house, seem to have suffered the wrath of God. The body of a black and white cow is stuck in dried mud inside what remains of a farm shed.

Fortunately, no one died in Demirkopru despite the heavy damage, but some were injured.

Rescue efforts in Hatay province have largely focused on Antakya, an ancient city that has been torn apart by the quake, 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) away from Demirkopru.

During the tremor, water rose from below ground then stagnated, residents said.

The ornately paved road no longer exists. Some bits are now a metre higher than others.

"Here, it became like an island," Murat Yar, a 38-year-old roofer, said.

"It went up, down, up, down, and then it slid down 30 metres. We saw water and sand gushing out," he added, mimicking the tremor's waves with his hands.

- 'Really scared' -

Residents could "jump out from the windows of their one and two-storey homes", Yar said, unlike in Antakya where people lived in multi-storey homes.

When the quake hit, the villagers scrambled to safety in an area designated by authorities in case of any tremors. But such was its force, even that cracked.

In front of a school whose gate was thrown 20 metres away is a yawning gap that zig zags but no damage is visible on the building's facade.

Further away four buildings belonging to another school appear like dominoes piled on top of a large earthen mound.

"I told myself, 'we're dead, we're finished'," Yar said.

Hatice Sahan, a 58-year-old woman wearing a headscarf, summed up how everyone felt on February 6: "We were really scared."

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SHAKE AND BLOW
Turkey's deadly quake renews alarm for Istanbul
Istanbul (AFP) Feb 17, 2023
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed tens of thousands across Turkey's southeast has reignited fears of an even more catastrophic death toll if a long-feared one hits Istanbul. Seismologists warn that a massive earthquake is likely to strike Turkey's biggest city - officially home to 16 million people but estimated to hold up to 20 million - by 2030. The city lies on the northern edge of one of Turkey's main fault lines and is densely packed. A 7.6-magnitude earthquake with an epicentr ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
Roscosmos is delaying the launch of the replacement Soyuz for crew return

NASA launches new Framework for Procurement Ideas, Solutions

Saudi Arabia to send its first woman into space

Russia launches resupply ship to int'l space station

SHAKE AND BLOW
Russian Progress cargo craft docks at space station suffers loss of coolant

NASA conducts first 2023 test of redesigned SLS rocket engine

SpaceX test fires Starship Super Heavy Booster's 31 Engines

Vulcan: Rocket stacked for inaugural launch

SHAKE AND BLOW
Let's Drill: Sols 3742-3743

Preparing to drill Dinira: Sols 3737-3738

The first in the universe, but what's next

NASA awards Mars mission launch to Blue Origin

SHAKE AND BLOW
Chinese astronauts complete first walk outside Tiangong space station

Shenzhou XV astronauts take their first spacewalk

Shenzhou XV astronauts to conduct first spacewalk

China's Deep Space Exploration Lab eyes top global talents

SHAKE AND BLOW
FCC greenlights Amazon's Project Kuiper to deploy 3,236 satellites in LEO

MDA secures new contract to supply Ka-band multibeam antennas for Argentina's ARSAT-SG1 Satellite

AST SpaceMobile announces collaboration with Zain KSA

AST SpaceMobile announces collaboration with TIM

SHAKE AND BLOW
'Magic' solvent creates stronger thin films

Space Station research announcement for advanced materials and manufacturing open now

Smart contact lens with navigation function, made with 3D printer

Turkey's once mighty developers under fire after quake

SHAKE AND BLOW
New models shed light on life's origin

Researchers focus AI on finding exoplanets

A nearby potentially habitable Earth-mass exoplanet

Two nearby exoplanets might be habitable

SHAKE AND BLOW
JUICE's final take-off before lift-off

A new ring system discovered in our Solar System

SwRI models explain canyons on Pluto moon

NASA's Juno Team assessing camera after 48th flyby of Jupiter

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.