Slovenian dogs and their handlers are helping earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria

On Monday, February 6^th the border area between Turkey and Syria was hit by a catastrophic earthquake.

According to the latest data, more than 20 thousand people have been found dead and even more people have been injured.

The survivors live in difficult conditions. Many people are sleeping in their cars or outdoors despite the bitter cold because they are afraid to return to their homes.

The situation in Syria is particularly dire since the country is at war. The worst affected city is Aleppo, which was already heavily damaged in the war. Rescuers are searching for survivors under the rubble of buildings.

Many countries have sent aid. Slovenian teams with rescue dogs traveled to Turkey already on Tuesday.

An earthquake is one of the worst natural disasters.

The causes of earthquakes are different. The strongest earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates. Strong friction occurs in the areas where the plates meet and slide next to each other.

In Turkey and Syria the first earthquake on February 6^th had a magnitude of 7.9.

Even in Slovenia we often feel earthquakes. The strongest earthquakes are in Posočje. In the last earthquake in 2004 near Kobarid, one person died and hundreds of buildings were damaged.

When a strong earthquake hit Croatia two years ago, we also felt the ground shaking in Slovenia.

In areas where the possibility of an earthquake is greater, proper construction of houses is very important. In Slovenia earthquake-proof construction is defined by the regulations.

Slovenia has a national earthquake protection and rescue plan. It precisely defines the tasks of civil protection, firefighters, police, emergency medical aid, and various ministries.

For parents and teachers

How to talk about tragedies

For reflection

1. What do you know about Turkey and Syria?
2. How can dogs help with the rescue mission?
3. Do you know how to behave during an earthquake?

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The original version of this article was published on February 10^th.