Earthquakes devastated cities in Turkey and Syria on February 6th, killing over 40,000 people and leaving buildings reduced to rubble.

The first earthquake hit along the Turkey-Syria border near the town of Gaziantep followed by many aftershocks. 

The second earthquake was more north and was almost as powerful as the first.

The infrastructure where the earthquake hit is a factor in why the earthquake was so destructive.

According to Dr. Carmen Solana in an interview with BBC News, reader in volcanology and risk communication at the University of Portsmouth, “The resistant infrastructure is unfortunately patchy in South Turkey and especially Syria, so saving lives now mostly relies on response.”

Emergency responders need to work fast as every second counts.

Solana said, “The next 24 hours are crucial to find survivors. After 48 hours the number of survivors decreases enormously.”

However, there are stories of people being found alive under rubble more than a week after the earthquake despite difficult conditions for emergency workers such as sub-zero temperatures.

A 77 year old woman and a teenage girl miraculously survived more than 200 hours after the earthquake.

All in all, this earthquake has been extremely difficult for Turkey and Syria, especially due to economic and infrastructure problems.

According to Reporter Jen Kirby with Vox.com, “Turkey is facing a profound economic crisis, with a collapsing currency and extraordinary inflation that hit around 80 percent last year, the highest in about 25 years.”

Syria was the least prepared because of the years and years of war and terrorism the country has been facing.

The World Health Organization estimated 23 million people have been affected in some way.

Rescue workers continue to search areas affected for survivors.