Mapping Tech restored After Disastrous Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

On February 6, 2023, around 4:17 a.m. local time, a devastating series of earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.8 hit the Turkey city of Gaziantep and Syria, which are already facing civil war effects and refugee crises. In addition to both countries, a strong earthquake was felt in Egypt, Cyprus, and Lebanon.

According to a report, thousands of people have been injured, and more than 2,300 people have died in Turkey and Syria. The reported number will increase as a huge number of people are trapped beneath the collapsed structures.

The USGS, a real-time earthquake map, shows the very first 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and a series of shocks. After 9 hours, another 7.5 magnitude earthquake was felt at Ekinözü city in southeast Turkey.

It also shows Turkey’s former devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake experienced by Turkey in 1939, with more than 32,000 fatalities.

All the international platforms step forward to help Turkey and Syria in such a situation, including European Union, Russia, and US Government, by providing search and rescue teams and other necessary help.

The European Commission also imposes emergency service on its Copernicus satellite to deliver quick and accurate current maps to support planning and emergency response. However, a Turkish official denied Elon Musk’s offer of SpaceX satellites by replying that we have sufficient satellite capacity with battery power backup.