Hundreds killed in seven Turkish provinces and Syria after 7.8 magnitude quake

Hundreds killed in seven Turkish provinces and Syria after 7.8 magnitude quake

0 Comments

A view of the destroyed buildings after earthquakes jolts Turkey (Anadolu Agency/Getty )

A view of the destroyed buildings after earthquakes jolts Turkey (Anadolu Agency/Getty )

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and Syria early on Monday, toppling buildings and leaving at least 234 dead with the toll expected to rise.

The quake, centered at the north of the city of Gaziantep, about 90km from the Syrian border, left a huge trail of destruction in both countries and was felt as far away as Cairo.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to areas hit by the quake.

“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,” he wrote.

On the Syrian side of the border, the quake smashed opposition-held regions that are packed with several million displaced Syrians with a decrepit health care system after years of war. At least 11 were killed in one town, Atmed, and many more were buried in the rubble.

Tallies from various officials put the toll to at least 18 dead in Turkey and 13 in Syria. At least 130 buildings tumbled down in Turkey’s Malatya province, governor Hulusi Sahin said.

Key Points

  • Strong 7.8 magnitude earthquake hits Turkey

  • Death toll reaches almost 200 in Turkey and Syria after ‘devastating earthquake’

  • At least 130 buildings tumbled down in Turkey’s Malatya province, says the governor

  • The situation in Syria is ‘disastrous’ with many trapped in rubble, officials say

  • ‘Hope that we will get through this disaster together,’ said Erdogan

Death toll reaches almost 200 in Turkey and Syria after ‘devastating earthquake’

05:53 , Stuti Mishra

Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency said the 7.8 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 76 people in seven Turkish provinces with 440 people left injured.

The news was announced as rescuers scrambled in areas across southeastern Turkey for the last two hours to search for people trapped in toppled apartment blocks and other buildings.

Suleyman Soylu, the Turkish interior minister, called the shock a “devastating earthquake” and said the armed forces were assisting civilian agencies in the rescue effort.

Meanwhile, the death toll in government-held areas of Syria from Monday’s quake climbed to 99, according to Syrian state media citing the health ministry. In addition, at least 334 people were injured in Syria. Earlier, 20 people were reported killed in rebel-held areas of Syria.

This raises the overall death toll to 195 in Turkey and Syria.

In pictures: Major earthquake reduces buildings to rubble in Turkey and Syria

05:43 , Stuti Mishra

A view of destroyed building after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the southern provinces of Turkiye (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A view of destroyed building after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the southern provinces of Turkiye (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A woman was rescued from the wreckage of a building during ongoing search and rescue efforts (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A woman was rescued from the wreckage of a building during ongoing search and rescue efforts (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Turkish emergency personnel and others try to help victims at the site of a collapsed building (EPA)

Turkish emergency personnel and others try to help victims at the site of a collapsed building (EPA)

A total of 42 aftershocks felt in two hours since the earthquake, Turkey’s disaster ministry says

05:21 , Stuti Mishra

According to Turkey’s ministry of interior disaster and emergency management, a total of 42 aftershocks have been felt in the two hours since the first quake hit at 4.17am local time.

“As of 6:30am, a total of 42 aftershocks, the largest of which was 6.6, were experienced,” the ministry said in a tweet in Turkish.

Death toll rises to 76 in Turkey

05:19 , Stuti Mishra

Turkey’s disaster management agency has revised the death toll to 76 as rescuers find hundreds trapped under the rubble with casualty figures feared to increase further.

The latest figures released by Turkey’s disaster agency at least 440 people have been injured, as the death toll continues to climb.

The situation in Syria is ‘disastrous’ with many trapped in rubble, officials say

05:02 , Stuti Mishra

Major damage has been reported in interior regions of northern Syria, which includes opposition-ruled states, a fragile infrastructure and a vulnerable population of millions of people internally displaced by war.

The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation in the rebel-held region as “disastrous” adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble.

The civil defense urged people to evacuate buildings to gather in open areas.

Emergency rooms were full of injured, said Amjad Rass, president of the Syrian American Medical Society.

At least 11 were killed in one town, Atmed, and many more were buried in the rubble, a doctor in the town, Muheeb Qaddour, told The Associated Press by telephone.

“We fear that the deaths are in the hundreds,” Mr Qaddour said, referring to the rebel-held northwest. “We are under extreme pressure.”

At least 130 buildings tumbled down in Turkey’s Malatya province, says the governor

05:02 , Stuti Mishra

At least 130 buildings tumbled down in Turkey’s Malatya province, neighboring the epicenter, governor Hulusi Sahin said.

In the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, at least 15 buildings collapsed.

Rescue teams called for silence as they listed for survivors in a toppled 11-story building.

There were at least 6 aftershocks, and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks.

“Our priority is to bring out people trapped under ruined buildings and to transfer them to hospitals,” he said.

A collapsed building is seen following an earthquake in Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province, southern Turkey (AP)

A collapsed building is seen following an earthquake in Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province, southern Turkey (AP)

‘Hope that we will get through this disaster together,’ said Erdogan

04:57 , Stuti Mishra

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to areas hit by the quake.

“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,” he wrote.

Turkey and Syria quake deaths cross 100

04:46 , Stuti Mishra

A Syrian health official says the death toll in Syria from Turkey’s earthquake is now at 62 as the death toll in Turkey rose to 38.

Syria’s health assistance minister said 42 people were killed in government-held areas of the country in today’s earthquake. At least 20 other people were killed in the rebel-held northwest raising the death toll in war-torn Syria to 62.

Assistant Health Minister Ahmad Dumeira told state news agency that 200 people were also injured by the quake in the provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.

The government of Malatya province in Turkey meanwhile reported 23 deaths there, bringing the overall death toll in Turkey 38.

Strong 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits Turkey

04:44 , Stuti Mishra

A strong 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey early today, topping buildings, leaving hundreds injured with death toll expected to rise.

The quake struck 23km east of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province at a depth of 24.1km, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Nurdagi is located along the Turkey-Syria border.

The quake was felt in several countries across the region, including Syria and Lebanon and as far as Cairo.

Videos shared on social media show panicked residents pouring outside in a cold winter night on the darkened streets amidst the chaos. Rescue workers can be seen carrying out search-and-rescue operations with a flashlight.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook central Turkey early Monday and was followed by a strong aftershock (AP)

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook central Turkey early Monday and was followed by a strong aftershock (AP)

04:24 , Stuti Mishra

good morning! welcome to The Independents‘s live coverage of the earthquake that hit Turkey early on Monday. We’ll be bringing you all the latest developments as they unfold.

Related Posts

Trump slammed for congratulating Kim Jong-un

Trump slammed for congratulating Kim Jong-un

Donald Trump is under fire from Republicans for complimenting North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un after his country was admitted to the World Health Organization's Executive Board.“Congratulations to Kim Jung Un!” the former president wrote on…