A massive earthquake has struck a large region in southeast Turkey, close to the border with Syria, killing more than 300 people and trapping many others.
The earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9 kilometers (11 miles) in the city of Gaziantep, according to the US Geological Survey.
Earthquakes in Turkey, Syria
Officials in Turkey have reported more than 76 deaths in ten affected cities, including Diyarbakir. State media said that more than 230 people were murdered in Syria. The Syrian Ministry of Health said that deaths had occurred in Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus.
There is concern that the death toll will increase dramatically in the following hours. Numerous structures have fallen, and rescue teams have been dispatched to hunt for survivors beneath enormous debris. Turkish Interior Minister Suleymon Soylu claimed ten cities were affected: Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis.
At least 23 people were murdered in Malatya province, north-east of Gaziantep, according to local officials. To the east, at Sanliurfa, there were 17 fatalities. In addition, other deaths were reported in Diyarbakir and Osmanay. About 440 persons were hurt in Turkey, while 639 were injured in Syria. According to a BBC Turkish journalist in Diyarbakir, a retail center in the city has collapsed.
Turkish seismologists assessed the magnitude of the earthquake to be 7.4 on the Richter scale. They said that a second earthquake struck the region a few minutes afterward. Turkey is located in one of the most active earthquake zones globally. In 1999, more than 17,000 people were murdered when a strong earthquake struck the country's northwestern region.
Per Gulf News, residents on both sides of the border were awakened by the tremors many hours before morning and hurried outside into the cold, wet, and wintry night. In cities across the border area, dozens of structures fell. In various communities on both sides of the border, rescue workers and civilians frantically sought for lives beneath the debris of collapsed buildings, sifting through tangles of metal and shards of concrete.
At least 130 structures collapsed in Malatya, Turkey, adjacent to the epicenter, according to Governor Hulusi Sahin. At least 15 buildings fell in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir. The announcement was made as rescuers throughout southeast Turkey battled to find those trapped in collapsed apartment complexes and other structures.
Suleyman Soylu, the Turkish minister of the interior, described the tremor as a "devastating earthquake" and stated that the military forces were supporting civilian rescue organizations. The health ministry said that at least 237 people were killed in government-held regions of Syria on Monday due to a 7.8-magnitude earthquake centered in southeastern Turkey.
Earlier, a hospital reported that the earthquake had killed at least eight people in the northern districts controlled by pro-Turkish forces, increasing the overall number of fatalities in the war-torn country to at least 245.
Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor for the White House, says he has informed Turkish authorities that the United States is prepared to assist with earthquake relief efforts. Sullivan tweeted that the United States was "very worried" about today's catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
In various locations on both sides of the border, rescue personnel and locals desperately sought survivors beneath the wreckage of collapsed structures. In a Turkish city ravaged by a quake, scores of individuals removed chunks of concrete and twisted metal. People on the street called to those inside a precariously leaning apartment building that had half collapsed.
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Turkey, Syria Experience 42 Earthquake Aftershocks
According to the Turkish ministry of interior disaster and emergency management, 42 aftershocks were felt two hours after the first earthquake occurred at 4:17 a.m. local time. As of 6:30 a.m., the ministry made the following statement: "As of 6:30 a.m., a total of 42 aftershocks, the greatest of which was magnitude 6.6, were felt."
The earthquake lasted around one minute and smashed windows, according to a witness in Diyarbakir, 350 kilometers (218 miles) to the east, where at least 17 buildings fell, according to a security official. Authorities said that 16 structures in Sanliurfa and 34 in Osmaniye collapsed.
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was around 30 kilometers from Gaziantep, a significant city and province capital. Its epicenter was 11 miles underground, and 10 minutes later, a powerful 6.7 aftershock rumbled.
The Turkish Agency for Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) reported that the magnitude 7.4 earthquake was centered near the town of Pazarcik in the province of Kahramanmaras.
Multiple structures collapsed in the provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir, and Malatya. In Turkey, individuals attempting to flee quake-ravaged regions produced traffic backups, impeding the operations of rescue organizations trying to reach the afflicted areas.
Officials encouraged citizens to stay off the roadways. Throughout the region, mosques were established as shelters for those unable to return to their damaged houses due to cold conditions, Daily Mail reported.
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