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What to know about Turkey’s recent devastating earthquake

The quake, the strongest in the region since 1939, has killed thousands in Turkey and Syria

A photo of a green backhoe parked next to a pile of rubble while search and rescue workers stand nearby.

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey, including the province of Hatay (shown) on February 6, setting off a desperate race for survivors.

Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

By Carolyn Gramling

In the early morning of February 6, a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey, near the border with Syria. Numerous aftershocks followed, the strongest nearly rivaling the power of the main quake, at magnitude 7.5.