It does seem cataclysmic, CP, but if you don't or can't conform to good construction practice this kind of disaster does happen. We lived on the side of a volcano for a few years and our doors would pop open spookily when there were quakes. Frequently! Local buildings were all single story and modern concrete block buildings had "ring beams" to allow them to flex and hold together.

Tip for the day: If you wake up realising there's an earthquake happening - put on your shoes before you do anything else. You may need to get out fast and you won't do that running and jumping barefoot over glass and rubble. Those few seconds might save your life.

Roger

p.s. I've just sent a donation to the DEC. I worked for one of the member organisations and alongside Oxfam, Save the Children and Concern too.

https://www.dec.org.uk/ 

Mad

I find the earthquake disaster a disheartening and heartbreaking counterpoint to the continuing appalling situation in Ukraine. [One that fellow humans, not natural processes, have caused.] 😱 Mad indeed!

Turkey earthquake fault lines mapped from space

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64603521 

Ah - the missing "human factor", DEW? Pilfering or  "stretching" cement in mixes are common scams. We shall soon know if that is part of the problem - though I suspect the best of builds would have had trouble with such a quake. 😬

"The death toll in Turkey and Syria from the quake has surpassed 28,000, and hope of finding many more survivors is fading despite some miraculous rescues. German rescuers and the Austrian army paused search operations on Saturday, citing clashes between unnamed groups."

Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll passes 28,000 as rescue hopes dwindle

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64608535 

"Officials in Turkey say 113 arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed in Monday's earthquake. Turkish police have already taken at least 12 people into custody, including building contractors."

Wot? No politicians or government apparatchiks?

Turkey issues 113 arrest warrants connected to building construction

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64615349 

"A devastating earthquake that toppled buildings across parts of Turkey and neighboring Syria has revived a longstanding debate locally and in neighboring Cyprus about a large nuclear power station being built on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coastline..."

Turkey quake revives debate over nuclear plant being built

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/turkey-ap-rosatom-cyprus-nicosia-b2283389.html 

Massive Swiss rockfall stops short of evacuated village of Brienz

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65926381 

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230617-rare-5-8-magnitude-earthquake-hits-large-parts-of-western-france 

All smartphones contain tiny accelerometers that can sense vibrations and speed, signals that indicate an earthquake might be happening. If the phone detects something that it thinks may be an earthquake, it sends a signal to our earthquake detection server, along with a coarse location of where the shaking occurred. The server then combines information from many phones to figure out if an earthquake is happening. 

https://crisisresponse.google/android-alerts/ 

The trouble is that the BBC couldn't find anyone in Turkey who had actually received the warning earlier this year. Did people not realise and not switch it on? Or is it only top-of-the-range phones that have this facility (Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy mentioned),i.e. models less sold outside affluent California? My bottom-of-the-range Doro, although powered by Android doesn't have an 'Earthquake Alert' option in the 'Settings' menus.

"Analysis of tree rings shows that two faults near Seattle, Washington ruptured at the same time or soon after each other more than 1000 years ago – a repeat today would cause a major disaster in the region."

Huge earthquake shook Seattle 1100 years ago and it could happen again

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394583-huge-earthquake-shook-seattle-1100-years-ago-and-it-could-happen-again/ 

No worries - yet? But I wouldn't want to live there

Researchers create a new tectonic model of the Earth and it's beautiful

https://www.zmescience.com/science/researchers-create-a-new-tectonic-model-of-the-earth-and-its-beautiful/ 

Evacuations are also taking place in parts of the Russian Sakhalin island, whilst a tsunami warning has also been issued for Vladivostok and Nakhodka in Russia's far east.

In 2011 the authorities got it wrong and 20,000 people died - "once bitten, twice shy"

They could have been on shaky ground if they had ignored.

"A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Taiwan early on Wednesday morning, killing one person and injuring dozens in the strongest tremor to hit the island in at least 25 years."

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/strong-earthquake-hits-taiwan-tsunami-004254363.html 

"Officials have confirmed at least four people have died while rescuers are pulling out people trapped in collapsed buildings."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-68720022 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/earthquake-rattles-northeastern-us-shakes-felt-in-new-york-city-new-jersey-connecticut-144832095.html?guccounter=1