7.8 Earthquake hit Syria, Turkey (501 views, 21 replies)
senior guru
I was in S/W Turkey during the 1999 Izmit earthquake. It was a 7.6 and caused huge loss of life and widespread destruction. The phone lines went down and no one knew WTF was going on. Lots of seasonal staff were from the North - around Istanbul and Gölcük and had no idea if their families were okay. I'll never forget the sound of wailing coming from the grieving when they finally got bad news.
The behaviour of some tourists -especially the Brits- was absolutely abhorrent. They didn't care how many thousands died as long as it didn't spoil their holiday. I've never been so ashamed of my fellow countryman.
@DemandingFemale It always (and I don't know why) shocks me to see just how terrible people can treat others. In my mind the conditions of individuality (ethnicity, religion, sexual identity) don't matter, they are still people. It's like an oak tree hating a birch tree; it never happens.
I wish the people effected nothing but positivity and sympathy in this trying time.
@nonehere I don't think it matters where, how, or to whom disaster happens - unless you are in the thick of it or in some way directly affected by it people can have blinkers on. No amount of news footage or photos really do it justice when the world outside your window still looks fine.
I just hope the death toll doesn't continue to rise to the levels of Izmits. Official Turkish figures were about 18k but some reckon it got close to 45k dead in '99 and 50k injured.
@DemandingFemale Yeah I remember reading about it, it was devastating. I was station in New Orleans, just after Katrina, there's still parts of the state that haven't recovered today. Today. I was also there for the oil spills in '08 - '10. I was there for Gustov. I've seen just how terrible natural disasters can be. Then to have overcome biased bigotry at that, it's appalling that that would matter during a time of emergency, but it does. For whatever reason it does. It's appalling.
@DemandingFemale It's a thing that is super tense here in the States. I mean, being someone who comes from many cultures; I think it matters as much as expressing the self identity, the identity of one's own family, but I don't think it's a condition of existence, or a condition that one can(should) look at negatively. It's not hate, but fear; Xenophobia is the word, I believe. It was my military service that taught me that other cultures, other beliefs aren't something to fear. It's those differences that enable us to share between those different ethnic identities. I can only hope that others will learn this as well. I have hope that in time we (Homo sapiens; humans) will understand this, I think it just takes time, and meeting other ethnic and cultural identities.
senior master
@18635fdgd Same here, I just checked a bit ago and they are calling this their most devastating in years. The cold is making it even more difficult to provide help. Wish I could do more.
senior guru
Hours-old baby born under the rubble of a collapsed building is rescued in N/W Syria. All her family, including her mother, have sadly died.
senior master
@Bread&Circuses Yeah it's bad out there. I really wish I was in a position to help, but there isn't much I can do myself.
senior master
Rushing Aid to Turkey
Urgent relief is on its way after massive earthquakes.
www.samaritanspurse.org/
@Bread&Circuses I have read so, and none too soon. I wish them a speedy recovery, as there is no more that I can offer.
@nonehere I do hope they get the help they need as I'm sure that Turkey doesn't have enough resources to deal with the magnitude of this destruction.🙏
@💛Yellow_rose1💛 No country has such resources. That's 10 million people directly affected and displaced. And to give you some perspective, Greece has 12 million inhabitants.
@M3g4m1nd Oh wow. This is terrible. I'm so lucky that
my city is literally built on limestone. It's nickname is The limestone City.
@💛Yellow_rose1💛 They're saying this is worse than the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. So I'll send some positive energy their way, and hope that they reach a resolution swiftly. That's about all I can do.
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top expert
www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news...
An up-to-date account of the damage to the regions. My heart and thoughts go out to those effected. May they find solace and comfort in this time of crisis.