A magnitude 7.9 earthquake was recorded at 4:17 local time (2:17 in Italy) in southern Turkey, not far from the border with Syria. According to data from the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) and the US geological monitoring service Usgs, the earthquake had its hypocenter about 25 km deep and its epicenter in the province of Gaziantep. In Turkey there are at least 76 dead, in northern Syria at least 110. The wounded in total are about 700.
On the basis of the data processed by the Tsunami Alert Center (Cat) of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv), the Civil Protection Department has issued an alert for possible tsunami waves arriving on the Italian coast following the quake with epicenter between Turkey and Syria. In a statement, the Civil Protection “recommends moving away from the coastal areas, reaching the higher nearby area and following the instructions of the local authorities. The tsunami – explains the note from the Civil Protection – consists of a series of sea waves produced by the rapid movement of a large mass of water. The alert indicates the possibility of a real danger for people who are near the coast, especially if in areas that are not very high, or even lower, than sea level. a wave of only 0.5 meters in height – the press release underlines – can generate dangerous floods and very strong currents”. “The Civil Protection Department, in conjunction with Ingv, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Ispra) and the structures of the National Civil Protection Service (Snpc), will continue to provide all available updates on the evolution of the event”, concludes the note.
For precautionary purposes, railway traffic in Italy will stop from 6.30, starting from the southern regions of Sicily, Calabria and Puglia, with possible subsequent extension to northern Italy following the alert issued by the Department of Civil Protection, for possible tsunami waves arriving on the Italian coasts after the earthquake of magnitude 7.9 with its epicenter between Turkey and Syria at 02.17. Fs communicates it. As a result of the precautionary stop there could be possible cancellations and extension delays in other regions as well.
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