Structures that were constructed before building codes were updated following a 1999 earthquake in Turkey used lots of concrete and masonry, making them brittle and more vulnerable to collapse.
As countries scramble to support rescue and aid efforts in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, the tragedy resulting from Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake has provided opportunities for some unlikely offers of assistance in a region marked by long-held, deep hostilities.
Rescuers in Turkey and Syria have braved frigid weather, aftershocks and collapsing buildings, as they dug for survivors buried by an earthquake that killed more than 5 000 people.
Structures that were constructed before building codes were updated following a 1999 earthquake in Turkey used lots of concrete and masonry, making them brittle and more vulnerable to collapse.