Damascus, February 19 (RHC)-- The recent earthquakes affecting Turkey and Syria tore a 300 km rupture through Earth’s surface.  Reuters news agency has documented how the ground in Turkey and northern Syria was cracked open and dragged in different directions after the huge 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6th and its aftershocks.

Land on either side of the ruptures moved in opposite directions, settling up to 7 metres (23 ft) from its starting point in some locations, Reuters reports, citing data provided by Chris Milliner of the California Institute of Technology.

The main quake had a long rupture with displacements of up to 7 metres (23 ft).  The shorter rupture from the 7.5-magnitude aftershock saw land displaced up to 5 metres (16 ft) in places, according to Reuters.

The bodies of at least 1,522 Syrians have been brought back to Syria from Turkey for burial, an official at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing said.

Syrian survivors of the earthquake have also begun crossing back from Turkey.  Some 1,795 Syrians crossed from Turkey into Syria on Wednesday, the first day after Turkey agreed to allow Syrian refugees affected by the earthquake to return to their country temporarily without losing their protected status in Turkey, the border-crossing official said.

The decision allows Syrian holders of Turkish temporary protection cards residing in earthquake-damaged areas to cross into Syria without having to obtain a travel permit from Turkish authorities.

Normally, Turkey would consider Syrians holding protected status who crossed into Syria without a permit to have relinquished their status as asylum seekers and they would be prevented from re-entering Turkey for five years.