Deadliest Earthquake in Turkey Created a Canyon Across Olive Garden Near Syria

The deadliest earthquake in the history of Turkey succeeded in carving a canyon through an olive grove close to Syria.

An olive grove that was split in half and separated by a massive canyon that was 1.5 miles long stands as a testament to the magnitude of the deadly earthquakes that wreaked havoc across much of Turkey and Syria.

The grove in the town called Tepehan in the rural area of eastern Turkey is now divided by a valley that was not there just a few days ago.

Olive Grove to Canyon

The earthquakes last week, which were deemed the deadliest ever in Turkey and also caused significant death and destruction in neighboring Syria, were caused by the East Anatolian Fault line, which is close to the town. In both countries, there have been more than 39,000 fatalities, and authorities predict that number will rise.

The updated images demonstrate how severe the earthquakes were, permanently changing this prehistoric landscape.

Families from surrounding communities are drawn to the area because of the transformation because they want to look over the newly formed cliffs. Some of the fresh cliffs are still crumbling and sending newly exposed rock crashing down to the new canyon floor.

Turkish Olive Grove

Satellite photos of the Turkey earthquake, according to WION, show how the landscape has greatly changed in the affected areas, with the earthquake creating a 984-foot valley.

The olive grove is located in the Altnozu district of Turkey's southeast, which borders Syria.

Online images showing the Turkey Olive Garden after the earthquake depict a rough canyon-like chasm that is colored sand. The gap measures more than 130 feet deep.

Locals talked about how terrifying last week's earthquake was and how dangerously close the Olive Garden came to causing the same kind of destruction in their town. A nearby resident named Irfan Aksu told a Turkish news agency that the earthquake produced a stunning sound as it struck. When they awoke, Aksu compared the area to a battlefield.

According to Aksu, the area is not a small town; there are 1000 houses and 7000 thousand of people living there. He wants experts to examine the area for any potential damage. Aksu did not deny that they were terrified, especially given that their town would have been in the center if it had been a little closer, WIONews reports.

Also Read: Could Recent Cascadia Earthquakes in California Herald "The Big One," Long Overdue Catastrophic Seismic Activity? 

Search for Survivors

In the meantime, despite all odds, people continue to be rescued alive from their homes' ruins. A 77-year-old woman was rescued in Adiyaman, 212 hours after the latest earthquake as shown in a video posted by the Turkish National Defense Ministry on Wednesday.

Muhammed Cafer Cetin, 18, was saved by a risky and delicate rescue operation in the province of Adiyaman. Before being rescued from a building that was collapsing all around them, medical personnel was able to administer him an IV with fluids. He was seen being taken away for treatment while wearing an oxygen mask and a neck brace.

Devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria last week, the first of which had a magnitude of 7.8. According to the official magnitude scale, it was considered a "major" earthquake. Hours later, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 occurred close by.

The task of rebuilding and taking care of those who have been displaced begins as the rescue operations start to wind down. In a statement released on Tuesday, the World Health Organization stated that 26 million people in both Turkey and Syria require immediate humanitarian assistance.

According to the WHO, 1 million people are estimated to have lost their homes in Turkey alone, and 80,000 people are currently being treated in hospitals that were severely damaged by the earthquakes, NBC News reports.

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