A series of large and devastating earthquakes have left parts of the Middle East in shambles. Eastern Turkey and neighboring Syria were shaken by one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the countries in recent years and, and according to the latest numbers, it’s the deadliest earthquake incident to occur worldwide in nearly two decades.
As of Feb. 16, ten days after the initial 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the region, more than 41,000 people are known to have died. That earthquake was only the start of the growing disaster, with another 5.7 magnitude quake hitting the following day and hundreds of aftershocks in between. Photos and videos from people on the ground show widespread rubble from collapsed buildings and countless people being rescued from crushing debris.
The earthquakes are the deadliest to occur in the world since a massive 2005 quake in Pakistan killed more than 70,000 people.
In 2011, nearly 20,000 people were killed after a 9.0 quake off of Japan‘s coast triggered a tsunami. And the year before that, a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti devastated the capital city, Port au Prince, with a death toll estimated at 200,000 or more.
Here is a look at other deadly earthquakes to strike over the past decade.
Syria and Turkey – at least 41,000 people
Tens of thousands of people have been killed or injured across portions of Syria and Turkey since the earthquake struck, with many trapped in buildings that collapsed into heaps of rubble. The countries were already known for having the “largest refugee population in the world,” according to the U.N. refugee agency, as Turkey serves as a host to more than 3.5 million refugees seeking safety from Syria’s civil war.
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Ten Turkish provinces have been impacted by the temblors, and at least 1.7 million of the people residing there are Syrian refugees. In Syria, there are more than 6.8 million people internally displaced, as well as 60,000 Palestinian refugees.
Nepal – 8,800 people
The second deadliest earthquake to happen in the past decade occurred on April 25, 2015 in Nepal. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred that day, quickly becoming the worst one to hit the country in more than 80 years and strong enough to be felt in India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan and trigger an avalanche on Mount Everest. There were more than two dozen aftershocks, including a 7.3-magnitude one that happened nearly three weeks later.
Credit: Kashish Shrestha/The Washington Post via Getty Images
More than 8,800 people were killed in the natural disaster, according to the United Nations.
Indonesia – 4,300 people
The devastation in Indonesia in 2018 stemmed mostly from the triggering of a tsunami. On Sept. 28 that year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake off the island of Sulawesi sparked a 10-foot-tall tsunami and several strong aftershocks, including one that had a magnitude of 6.7. It’s estimated that at least 4,340 people were killed by the earthquake and its torrential aftermath, including at least 1,200 in the tsunami, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images
Haiti – 2,200 people
A Saturday morning in Haiti quickly transitioned to turmoil on Aug. 14, 2021, when a 7.2-magnitude earthquake strong enough to be felt in neighboring countries hit the region. Initial reports showed that hundreds had been killed, but in a little over a week, it was realized that more than 2,200 people had been killed. Thousands more were injured and nearly 53,000 homes were destroyed.
REGINALD LOUISSAINT JR/AFP via Getty Images
Afghanistan – 1,100 people
On June 22, 2022, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Khost and Paktika provinces in eastern Afghanistan. After the disaster, Muhammad Amin Hafiza, the head of information and culture in the hard-hit Paktika province, told CBS News that “some families have completely vanished” in his province. It was the deadliest earthquake to hit the country in 20 years, and only worsened when, two days later, a 4.2-magnitude aftershock hit in almost the same exact spot and took at least five more lives.
Sayed Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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