7 earthquakes hit Iraq last month
Rescuers searching the rubble of collapsed buildings in the Yesilyurt district of Malatya in Turkey in February 2023. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi official report confirmed that seven earthquakes hit Iraq during April, Alsumaria News reported.
The tremors took place in the governorates of Kirkuk, Diyala, Wasit, and Diwaniya, Alsumaria News explained.
A report issued by the Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology mentioned that the number of earthquakes recorded by the Iraqi seismic monitoring network for this month is 16 earthquakes, including seven earthquakes inside Iraq, five earthquakes inside Iran, two earthquakes in Syria, and two earthquakes in Turkey.
Regarding the strength of these tremors, the report stated that they ranged between 2.5 and 4.6 degrees on the Richter scale, while their depths were around 28.5 kilometers.
The western and southwestern areas of Iraq were observed devoid of any seismic activity, and this explains the nature of the movement of the Arabian plate and the location of Iraq in the northeastern part, and the increase in seismic activity towards collision areas, specifically towards north and northeast Iraq, the report illustrated.
On February 25, the Iraqi government announced that two earthquakes were recorded in the governorates of Nineveh and Erbil, with no casualties or material losses reported.
On February 22, a statement issued by the Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology mentioned that an earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale hit Nineveh governorate in northern Iraq.
These earthquakes follow a devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6. The aftershocks of this earthquake reached other countries in the region and were felt by residents in Lebanon and Iraq.
According to the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the earthquake is the biggest disaster the country has suffered since 1939.