Catastrophic quake and persistent rain as seen through the lens of a Siberian Yakut resident in Turkey.
Traveling in Turkey's Kemer for the past fortnight, I stumbled upon some peculiar happenings. Even though it's not the peak season, the place buzzes with tourists, and the hotels are brimming.
Funnily, I only found out about the eye-opening earthquake that shook Turkey the previous day at 8 am, while getting ready for breakfast, from a buddy of mine residing in Yakutsk, Russia. "I didn't feel a thing," I replied to her inquiry. Later, I encountered a young couple near the restaurant discussing the incident with one of the hotel staff. The fellow mentioned he had been jolted awake and saw his wardrobe wobbling, but it was all over in a flash, leaving him bewildered. "Nope, it wasn't a figment of your imagination; there was indeed an earthquake in Marmaris," I chipped in.
"Got the news already? You lot from?" the young man inquired, taken aback.
"Russia, Yakutsk," I answered. "Well, wouldn't you know? We're clueless here, but you guys are in the loop," he countered, a tad more surprised.
As it transpired, he hailed from Ukraine, and it was quite surprising for him to learn that Russians, especially Yakutians, were up-to-date about global happenings. Notably, our hotel accommodated numerous Ukrainian visitors, mostly women with children.
We eventually learned that the earthquake struck Marmaris, a popular tourist destination nestled on Turkey's southwestern coast, at 2:17 am, registering a magnitude of 5.8. Fortunately, the aftermath saw fewer casualties as most injuries resulted from hasty decisions to jump from heights, with 55 injured getting admitted to the local hospital. Regrettably, a 14-year-old girl even lost her life due to a heart-stopping panic attack. According to local rescuers, there was no substantial damage, but several buildings displayed signs of severe cracks.
The earthquake, unsurprisingly, was a hot topic of conversation at our hotel the day after, given Kemer's proximity to Marmaris (approximately 300 kilometers away). Although I wasn't affected because I was peacefully asleep, others reported feeling the tremors.
Here's the translated insider's perspective, preserving the original formatting:
Olga from Orel shared her story: "I thought my young neighbors, probably having a romp, were knocking on my bed." Tatiana from Krasnoyarsk was petrified, but not due to the quake. She assumed her wardrobe wasn't waving, but she herself was having a turn, possibly suffering a stroke. "It only lasted for a few seconds," she recounted, "and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking I was okay, then I went back to sleep."
Intriguingly, despite the earthquake's impact, local residents claim they received no notifications about the incident. It's hard not to be reminded of our local authorities, who even narrow us down about prolonged rainfall!
This incident sparked thoughts of the relentless downpour we had experienced in Kemer about a couple of days back. It wasn't just an ordinary drizzle; we were lashed by an all-day storm with strong winds. Guests flocked to the gym and sauna for solace. A few, attired in jackets, took refuge in the lobby to warm up. Interestingly, on that day, the bars ran out of cups due to a massive influx of consumers. The rain was so torrential that it filled up the underground passage. And then Yakutsk came to mind.
Next time, I'll regale you with more gripping stories about vacationing in Turkey in 2025, wallet-friendly payment options, and other enticing discoveries.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-earthquake-leaves-2-dead-55-injured-2021-10-31/[2] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/marmaris-earthquake-turkey-leaves-2-dead-after-5-8-magnitude-quake-b3224336.html[3] https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/equation/USGS_EQ_R1Q12AKFG.html
[1] Despite the unpredictable weather that occasionally swept through Kemer during my stay, I was caught off guard by the sudden news of the Earthquake that occurred in Marmaris the previous day.
[2] Conversations about the earthquake were still lingering among the tourists and staff at the hotel the following day, with many sharing their experiences of feeling the tremors, much like I heard from my friend living in Yakutsk, Russia.
