Turkey-Syria earthquake: death toll updated to 40000

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and several cities in Syria in the early hours of Monday, 6 February 2023. The tremor was also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus.

The epicenter of the earthquake is located in the district of Pazarcik, in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras, about 60 kilometers as the crow flies from the Syrian border.

The provisional death toll is estimated at 41 000 with 38 000 deaths in Turkey and 3 700 in Syria, and thousands more injured. The disaster caused major material damage including the collapse of several buildings.

Turkey has a "Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool" that is expected to face significant material damages.

According to the first estimates provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS), the economic impact would be well over 1 billion USD.

According to the authorities, this is the largest earthquake in Turkey since the one that occurred in 17 August 1999 and claimed the lives of 17 000 people.