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Published 19:06 IST, February 6th 2023

This Dutch expert predicted the Turkey earthquake 3 days before it happened

A researcher from the Netherlands named Frank Hoogerbeets predicted the earthquake in Turkey, three days before it happened.

Reported by: Bhagyasree Sengupta
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Image: AP | Image: self
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A researcher from the Netherlands predicted the earthquake in Turkey, just three days before it happened. A Dutch researcher named Frank Hoogerbeets from the Solar System Geometry Survey (SSGEOS) issued a warning on Twitter three days ago that a massive earthquake will rock Turkey “sooner or later”. His prediction came true on Monday when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria that led to the death of over 1,300 people in the region. Things got worse on Monday afternoon when another massive 7.7 magnitude quake hit the middle eastern country making it one of the biggest natural calamities the country has witnessed in 80 years. 

“Sooner or later there will be a ~M 7.5 #earthquake in this region (South-Central Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon). #deprem,” Frank wrote on Twitter on January 3. However, not many netizens paid attention to the prediction until Monday. Hoogerbeets’ tweet now has over 21 million views, 77.9 thousand likes and over 23 thousand retweets. The Dutch expert is still using his platform to keep people updated about the current situation. 

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‘My heart goes out to everyone affected’: Hoogerbeets

The Dutch expert also expressed his grief over the devastating incident and stated that the quakes are “preceded by critical planetary geometry”.  “My heart goes out to everyone affected by the major earthquake in Central Turkey. As I stated earlier, sooner or later this would happen in this region, similar to the years 115 and 526. These earthquakes are always preceded by critical planetary geometry, as we had on 4-5 Feb,” Hoogerbeets wrote on Twitter.

The devastating earthquake wreaked immense havoc in both Turkey and Syria. While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that 912 people lost their lives in the tragic incident, the Syrian media on the other hand reported that around 320 people lost their lives in the country. As rescue personnel are operating in the region, fears of an increase in the death toll still remain pertinent. 

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17:49 IST, February 6th 2023