Research conducted by a group of Turkish scientists revealed on Wednesday that 92 people lost their lives in 2,826 landslides that occurred in 11 provinces affected by the pair of earthquakes that struck the southeastern region of the country nearly two months ago.
The "Landslide Assessment Team (SLATE)," formed by professors and lecturers from Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Middle East Technical University (METU) and Twente University from the Netherlands, took note of work and field investigations, which lasted for about a month, to detect post-earthquake landslides.
As a result of the study, it was determined that 2,826 landslides were triggered after the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, while it was noted that Incirlik Street, which is connected to the Karanlikdere neighborhood of Malatya's Doğanşehir district, slipped 482 meters (1,581 feet) due to a landslide. It was also noted that the village of Narlı was divided into two.
As part of the survey, it was confirmed that nine of the 32 houses were completely destroyed in Mutlu village in the Çelikhan district of Adıyaman owing to landslides, and the hydroelectric power plant in Çelikhan was also destroyed as a result of earthquakes.
The researchers also noted that Idilli Stream and the dam lake, formed due to a landslide in Gaziantep's Islahiye district, began retaining water.
While elaborating on the research, ITU's Tolga Görüm said that after the Feb. 6 earthquakes, a team of five people immediately went to the region in order to initiate field work.
Noting that they determined the location of landslide areas from images obtained by the General Directorate of Mapping, Görüm said that they understood the scope of destruction caused by the landslides after visiting the region.
"The total number of landslides triggered by the earthquakes is at least four times higher than the number of landslides mapped so far," he said.
Explaining that the largest landslides they have observed occurred in Malatya's Doğanşehir district, where many buildings were razed after the earthquakes, Görüm also noted the tremors had damaged agricultural areas in the region.
Drawing attention to landslides in Incirlik and Kilise streets in Doğanşehir, Görüm said that 16 homes and a school were affected without casualties. "The landslide started 40 seconds after the earthquakes and residents managed to evacuate their homes. Yet, the ground moved by 482 meters, rendering it completely uninhabitable," he said.
"Mostly, landslides have been intense in the mountainous parts of Malatya and Adıyaman region and in some areas of Hatay's Samandağ district," Görüm noted, adding that bedrock falls continued with aftershocks. He also highlighted that the landslides should be taken into consideration during the selection and planning of new post-earthquake settlements.