A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey early Monday morning has left more than 1,200 people dead in Turkey and Syria and hundreds more injured in both nations.
In a televised speech on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reported that Turkey's earthquake deaths are now at 912, CNN reported.
Early reports from Syrian state TV put the number of deaths in the country at 386, with 239 of them occurring in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, and Tartus. At least 147 casualties were recorded by the "White Helmets," or Syria Civil Defense, in regions of northwest Syria under opposition control.
Syrian state television stated that 648 people were injured in Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, and Tartus as a result of the earthquake. White Helmets reported an additional 340 casualties in regions under opposition control.
The US Geological Survey said that the Turkey-Syria earthquake occurred at 4:17 am local time at a depth of 17.9km in Gaziantep, Turkey, a city with 2 million people.
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Historic Structures Destroyed
The initial Turkey-Syria earthquake magnitude was 7.4 and followed by more than 40 aftershocks, according to Turkey's AFAD emergency response center, according to CNA.
Several structures have been destroyed, and rescue workers have been sent to scour the wreckage for any signs of life.
The Gaziantep Castle, which had endured for almost 2,000 years, was demolished during the Turkey earthquake, as per a BBC report.
President Erdogan of Turkey has extended his condolences and called for national unity following the Turkey earthquake deaths as the country prepares for a highly fought election on May 14.
Turkey is an earthquake hotspot. In 1999, a powerful earthquake that hit the nation's northwest resulted in the deaths of almost 17,000 people, according to a previous HNGN report.
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