Politics

*** BESTPIX **** ELBISTAN, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 08: Local people and rescue volunteers retrieve a body during rescue operations on February 8, 2023 in Elbistan Turkey. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of Monday, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor just after midday. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and were felt in nearby countries. (Photo by Mehmet Kacmaz/Getty Images) — Image: Getty Images

Feb 9th 2023

An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing at least 16,000 people. A second powerful earthquake followed shortly after. The toll is expected to rise significantly. It was the world’s deadliest earthquake since 2010, when 220,000 people died in Haiti, or 2011 in Japan, where 21,000 were killed, but mostly by a resulting tsunami. Turkey imposed a state of emergency in the affected areas.

This article appeared in the The world this week section of the print edition under the headline “Politics”