we take a look back into the future in slowly in february on d, w. ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, a massive earthquake. it's parts of turkey and syria, with a 2nd tremor just 2 hours later, adding to the devastation in the cold and dark rescue, true cruise work to find people trapped in the rubble times are dead. thousands

more injured in syria. the relief effort is complicated by the side effects of years of civil war. the country's economy and infrastructure are already in tatters. ah, i'm pablo foliage, welcome to the program. to powerful earthquakes on the turkish syrian border have killed more than 3400 people. rescue efforts are ongoing, but the death toll is expected to rise further. flights in the region have been suspended. the initial 7.8 magnitude tremor was centered north of the turkish city of gassy and tap. it caused destruction stretching along turkeys. southern border from the mediterranean eastwards, also affecting parts of northern syria and international aid effort is underway

with the united states, european union, nato, israel, and even ukraine having offered assistance. unspeakable loss and sadness have swept across southern turkey. gordon or mid was again, my grandson is 18 months old. please help them please. we can't hear them. have not had any news from ben since morning, please. they were on the 12th florida. we can't reach my family. my grandson was over by the law. the to master it quite struck within hours of each other, the tremendous forest flattening homes and businesses. people living near what is known as the anatolia fault, are used to tremors, but not like this. that ma'am, we all came downstairs and there was heavy rain. people have been through horrible things. a relative of our friend is here. they haven't been rescued yet. we are waiting for them on the radio. as searches go on more than missing our fear dead.

the quakes were felt as far away as lebanon, jordan, israel, and egypt. hundreds of after shocks have colluded to hamper rescue and recovery efforts of the am looking for the wife of my brother to live my nephews are inside . my brother's wife came here last night as a guest from already on my gun. barbara hospitals are tending to thousands of injured despite power shortages. the states, crude, oil and natural gas corporation had to show not the flow of gas to the area. after quakes damaged the main pipeline on top of all that more aftershocks and bad weather are expected. the rest of the week turkey's turning to the international community for help us president joe biden says it's on the way. another country such as germany have also pledged support, but it will take time for the area to recover from the loss of life and widespread damage. of the earthquakes also caused devastation in northern parts of syria near

the turkish border. news agency a f p is reporting that at least 1200 people in syria were killed and the quakes with more than 3000 injured the tremors stroke parts of the country that are already facing a crisis. after years of civil war, in syria, norse de devastation is evident. ah, the quaker levelled entire buildings killing sleeping residence in the early morning hours in rebel held it. let province. presidents describe it as the strongest earthquake they had experienced in their lifetimes. above what does not buy them of law. we went through horrifying moments in us building at 4 in the morning. isn't it?

we've never witnessed an earthquake like this. thoughts of buildings of collapse, of my family and i survived and the neighbors did 2, but 5 people died here we go. fia comes with us. hosanna and the situation was so intensely it felt like judgment a day. well that was said because we all know he only they say the quick here went on for about a minute and a half. what followed was destruction on a scope that is proving difficult for volunteers from the syrian civil defense to manage on their own. they are still carrying out rescue operations, but supplies are running out fast. oh, about from of you yellow probably all that. so you give somebody a situation is very bad. the people in northern syria witness to real catastrophe today because i live in the minds of the civil defense are still rescuing people. so they're still pulling out the corpses from under debris made out of this will take many hours and days will that get many hospitals can't take anymore patients

much every mom and stuff. well, well, i'm ready and aleppo residence work alongside rescue workers clearing the rubble of damage buildings and trying to break shoes, cement, to rescue those still trapped underneath. many remain outside in the streets in the cold. fearing buildings could still collapse either from the damage already sustained or from after shops expected to follow. were scared for the children. we went back home and there was another quake. so we went back into the street. rescue workers have miraculously saved many from under the rubble, but as the body bags multiply, local communities are grappling with the loss that came so abruptly in the middle of the night. yaks on she shockey is the ceo of them. a ram of foundation which provides assistance to syrians from its headquarters in

gasoline tap. he told us earlier on d, w by what he's hearing out of syria to kids. it's like it's a state so you have a government, you have emergency team, we've walked in the streets, we're getting fixed messages from afar about what we shouldn't do or we should not . and still we don't have this. we don't have government at the north, west syria. we don't have government. we have actually people who i, n g o z and civil society or trying to manage. and that me side all difficulties. we break short and funding when it's being cut, body and then to national community because others shows them the different countries. so basically the hospitals like being caught over 50 percent. so we are the behind the medical supply. we are already behind winter. i dish and kids and we're already behind the shutters and pants. and now we have this emergency and we used to say emergency within emergency plus we have breath quick. i mean, you can imagine teams are working for 47 of them was less something less equipment

. so it's as hard as it's like, there's no way to describe it. honestly. so speak now with austin elliott, an earthquake geologist at the earthquake science center of the us geological survey in california. welcome to dw. so 1st and foremost, how prone is the area at to quakes? and what's special about these ones that we've seen turkey is one of the world's most earthquake brown countries. there are widely known and well understood seismic hazards zones that run along the north and the eastern edge of this country and the earthquake this morning happened along the you've done a toy and fall i recognized as one of the big major play boundaries there in the region amended 7.8 was approaching the largest earthquakes we expect within the continents. and so this truly represents a significant event,

scientifically. so often this is basically a massive earthquake let in other in other words, now there were also reports of for shock. so shocked before at the quakes actually hit. does that mean that there was actually a chance for people to have been saved if they'd actually reacted immediately after those shocks had been felt? well there was, as we understand, there was a magnitude 4.6 earthquake, 3 days ago happened and february 3rd. that alone would definitely not have been enough of a sort of warning to learn anyone that something more significant was on the way made measured for earthquakes. happened all over this region and around the world all the time and most of them are not followed by larger. so unfortunately, today we still don't have a way of predicting the timing of any subsequent earthquakes. what we do

understand is how aftershock sequence. and as we see today, they can be quite vigorous. so we, we've already seen scores hundreds of after socks with strong shaking in the wake of this managed 7.8. as well as, of course, many of them were 5 which with something of its own earthquake, intone right on a neighboring folk. so often, just so we're clear just if you can understand how things sort of function after a big event like the ones that we've seen earlier. does that mean that the threat of more quakes is high at the moment? certainly so after a large earthquake, the rate of all other sizes of earthquakes increases, that's essentially what aftershocks are. and so for the most part, we're seeing those after shocks occurring right in the immediate vicinity of the false that produced this magnitude $78.00. additionally, as i mentioned,

the magnitude 7.5 ruptured neighboring a. jason, it's sort of having its own after shock sequence over time after songs will become less frequent, but they don't necessarily get smaller. so the potential for large earthquakes will persist the likelihood of a nother large, really larger crate like the to we've seen is quite low. i can't be rolled out. and anyone who lives in earthquake pro, an area like this sort of has to reckon with the reality that large earthquakes are a possibility. we've seen the images, we're seeing the images come in. we're seeing this death toll, which is absolutely awful. what can be done to better prepare these regions, like you say that they have to basically they're used to, you know, earthquake events or in areas where earthquakes happen. so what can they do to

actually be better prepared? yeah, well funded mentally, there are a few different things at different levels that are required for earthquake preparedness and for writing through these safely or sort of well as a society. one of the really big important factors as we can see in the photos is the construction of building how they're made. what goes into the design elements and that varies around the world. and there are a lot of different considerations that lead to different standards of designed, different expectations about how things perform. so they're really big challenges around both changing building code, but also then changing the building stock service. but in response to those codes, the other factors are maybe a little bit more within people's control. and that's, you know, take the examples of what you're seeing on tv now. and although they are very hard

to witness and harrowing to, to watch people that are great pro regions should consider to themselves if we know what sort of earthquake to anticipate these ones. right. what, what i want to be prepared with austin elliott, an earthquake geologist joining us from california. thank you. while there are almost 3000000 people of turkish origin or descent living here in germany and the turkish community has responded to the devastating earthquakes with donations for those left homeless. the response has been overwhelming. and the task now is to sort through donations and get the a to where it's needed. most children's shoes, warm clothing and senator re products donations from the turkish community that these volunteers assaulting out in a school in berlin. as soon as they heard about the earthquakes, they wanted to help evolve to mourn for hall. i was at home this morning and heard

about this tragic. it is also in turkey, cognitive, social media, on the news type in the harbor that you think i heard that there was a relief effort going on here. there's people that needed when to clothing in food have an effect of em. hello. i took everything i could take from home, and additionally, when shopping, la, then i brought it here. half of it. i'm also helping to make sure it gets to where it is needed for your, for the organizer of the initiative knows 1st hand, how urgently help is needed. smart the for my, i'm doing this from my heart because they was once effected personally. all night i experienced the 1992 earthquake and i know how difficult the situation is. my son has. i was grateful for every little thing. that's what, as soon as i heard the, i got involved immediately thing as just a few ha ha, happened before you and i, she had her. the involvement of the turkish community in germany is also visible in

other cities, the owners of a local boxing club in munich were overwhelmed by the number of donations from people who want to help, despite being so far away from the disaster sown. you're watching dw news, steven beardsley is up next after a short break with your business news. and don't forget there is more news and information on the d t o v website and on our youtube channel. and of course you can also follow us on twitter and it's to wrap the handle. is tito view news? i'm pablo folemi. as for me, the team here. thanks roger. take care people and trucks injured when trying to see the city center more and more refugees are being turned away. warner families played on the taxi syrian to these crypt honestly like.