7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Becomes Top 10 Deadliest

The death toll has surpassed 21,000. Many factors have played their part in making this quake so fatal and destructive.

The earthquake that occurred in Turkey and Syria on Monday has now become one of the top 10 deadliest over the past 20 years.

The death toll has surpassed 21,000. Many factors have played their part in making this quake so fatal and destructive. One of them being the time of day it occurred.

The quake shook the Earth so early in the morning that many people were in their beds and became trapped under the rubble of their homes.

The region is experiencing freezing cold and wet weather which has slowed down recovery efforts and makes it difficult for trapped survivors to hold on long enough to be rescued.

The 7.8 magnitude quake struck with a depth of 14.9 miles. It was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in over 80 years and has caused some of the most fatalities from an earthquake in the region.