An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 degrees Richter, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), took place on Sunday, October 23, in Eastern Turkey, 16 km away from the city of Van. Over 200 people died in this earthquake, while over 1,000 people were injured. The death toll is expected to rise in the next period.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, also centered in north of Van, including two of magnitude 5.6 soon after the quake and one of 6.0 degrees Richter late on Sunday.

Friday, October 21, 2 days before the Turkey earthquake, another strong quake took place in Karmadec Islands region, north of New Zealand, according to USGS. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 degrees Richter, a depth of 32.9 km, and happened at 169 km away from Raoul Islands. However, there was no risk of a tsunami affecting New Zealand.

An earthquake of 4.8 degrees Richter was recorded in Romania on October 4 this year. The epicenter was in Vrancea area of Romania, and happened at a depth of 134 kilometers. Its epicenter was 35 km away from Buzau and 2 km away from the Odaile village.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)