This browser does not support the Video element.
SoCal organizations donating supplies to earthquake-ravaged Middle East
Organizations in Orange County are collecting items to donate to Turkey and Syria following the deadly earthquake.
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. - Organizations around Southern California continue to gather supplies to send to the Middle East to help in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake that's claimed more than 7,000 lives in Turkey and Syria.
Donations came into the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove Tuesday. Students at Orange Crescent school helped organize donations which included blankets, sweaters, coats and more ahead of shipping them out. Students said they understand just how serious the situation there is.
"I was worried because some of my family members were in the hospital, and I was scared for them," one student told FOX 11.
Another called the devastation "heartbreaking for the families and everyone around them."
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck central Turkey early in the morning of Feb. 6. Several powerful aftershocks came minutes later.
"This situation produced a lot of shaking to a lot of people," said Seismologist Lucy Jones.
Jones said it’s been over 100 years since we’ve had a shake like they got in Turkey and Syria this week.
She said the quake "is called a strike slip fault. It’s extremely perilous. It’s similar to the San Andreas fault in California. It means it’s a vertical fault. One side moves sideways passed the other and shaking is released from the whole surface."
But, for those at the Islamic Society of Orange County, what’s technical is not their primary concern. They’re worried about the well-being of the people in the earthquake-ravaged region —the warm clothes they’re going to need to help deal with the winter cold.
"The temperatures are freezing," volunteer Sabeen Baloch said. "It’s freezing cold there. Below freezing point. Basically at this point the buildings are in rubbles and the people are sitting under the open skies in freezing temperatures without any clothes, food or basic necessities."
Meanwhile, Ahmad Almutawa at the Islamic Center said he’s planning a trip to the earthquake-ravaged region on Feb. 24 to personally take some of the donated items.