Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, storms and other natural disasters caused damage totalling $250 billion worldwide in 2023 and claimed 74,000 lives, German insurance company Munich Re said on Tuesday in its annual natural catastrophe report. The devastating series of earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February claimed the most victims. The number of fatalities was the highest since 2010, said Ernst Rauch, chief geoscientist at the DAX-listed company. “This was mainly due to the earthquake in Turkey, which claimed 58,000 lives.” Munich Re has been documenting the worldwide destruction caused by…