Easy News: Earthquakes kill 1000s of people in Turkey and Syria

1. 

   Turkey and Syria were hit with 2 deadly earthquakes on Monday 6th February 2023.

2. 

   An earthquake is an intense shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the sudden movement of tectonic plates.

3. 

   Tectonic plates are what make up the earth’s crust, which is what we call the outer layer.

4. 

   Tectonic plates are always slowly moving, which causes stress to the earth’s crust to build up over time. This causes cracks called fault lines.

5. 

   When tectonic plates at one of these fault lines move suddenly, it causes an earthquake.

6. 

   Magnitude is how scientists measure the size of earthquakes, on a scale of 1 to 10. The 1st earthquake measured 7.8 magnitude. A 2nd earthquake happened soon after. This one measured 7.5 magnitude.

7. 

   Scientists think that the 1st earthquake was the biggest one in 10 years. The biggest earthquake ever recorded was 9.5 magnitude and happened in Chile in 1960.

8. 

   After the earthquakes, there were strong aftershocks. These are smaller earthquakes that happen after the main earthquake in the same area. The Turkey and Syria aftershocks were as strong as some main earthquakes.

9. 

   Within 1 week of the earthquakes, over 35,000 people had been reported to have died after being crushed by falling buildings across the 2 countries and lots of people have lost their homes. Most of the deaths were in Turkey and the number of dead is likely to rise.

10. 

    Many people have lost their whole families because of the earthquakes.

11. 

    Some people were still being rescued after being trapped under fallen buildings for 5 days, including a mother and her new born baby. But there were not enough rescuers or equipment to reach most people alive.

12. 

    Lots of organisations from around the world have joined together to try and help. They have given money, people and supplies to help dig out those buried under the fallen buildings.

13. 

    They have also helped set up temporary hospitals and are giving food, clothes, blankets and medical supplies to those who need them.

14. 

    The UK Government has sent money, supplies and people to Turkey and Syria to help with the rescue efforts and look after the sick and injured.

15. 

    Even with this help, the people affected by the earthquakes are still at serious risk of dying from the freezing temperatures as they have nowhere warm to go.

16. 

    Syria is harder to get international help to than Turkey, as they are involved in a 12 year civil war – this is a war between a country’s Government and different groups within it.

17. 

    Most of the rescue efforts in the first 5 days were by a voluntary workforce called the White Helmets – also called the Syria Civil Defence. These are people who help victims of war and fighting in Syria.

18. 

    Many of the Syrian people affected by the earthquakes have already been displaced because of 12 years of war in their country. Displaced is when people are forced to leave behind their home and belongings during fighting and escape for somewhere safer.

19. 

    Lots of organisations have set up emergency appeals to help the victims of the earthquakes who now have nowhere to live and no belongings.

20. 

    If you would like to give some money to these appeals, you can donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee.

21. 

    You can listen to this Easy News update being read out loud with audio narration here.

22. 

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