A devastating earthquake with a magnitude of Mw=7.7 struck Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) on February 6, 2023, at 04:17 local time, as reported by AFAD. The earthquake had a focal depth of 8.6 km and was felt strongly in the Eastern Anatolia region, particularly in Gaziantep, Malatya, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Adana, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, and Hatay. The earthquake resulted in significant loss of life, injuries, and property damage. Later that day, at 13:24 local time, another earthquake with Mw=7.6 occurred at a depth of 7.0 km in Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş), exacerbating the extent of destruction in the region. Thousands of aftershocks, some larger than magnitude 6, have since been experienced in the area.

In light of these catastrophic events, the coordinator of the S4H project, Prof. Paulo B. Lourenço, and team member, Dr. Shaghayegh Karimzadeh, recently shared valuable insights on the science of earthquakes and their impact on the built environment in a series of interviews on popular TV channels. In line with the project’s objectives, the interviews emphasized the importance of earthquake preparedness, new guidelines, and measures that practitioners and communities can take to minimize damage and ensure safety during an earthquake.

Overall, as seismic activity continues to pose a significant threat to communities worldwide, the insights shared by the S4H project’s experts will undoubtedly help raise awareness and promote greater resilience in the face of this ongoing challenge.

Links to the interviews can be found below.