Hundreds Dead As Powerful Earthquake Shakes Turkey, Syria
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and northern Syria.
At least 76 deaths were reported in Turkey, while at least 200 people died in Syria.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centred about 33km (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 18km (11 miles) deep, and a strong 6.7 aftershock rumbled about 10 minutes later. The tremor was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the earthquake.
In northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defence described the situation in the rebel-held region as “disastrous”, adding that entire buildings had collapsed and people were trapped under the rubble.
Mazen Kiwara, Middle East Regional Director for the Syrian American Medical Society, said that the healthcare system in Syria is “overwhelmed” from the number of people in need of medical attention, as some hospitals have been damaged by the quake.
Kiwara said his team had to evacuate a maternity hospital in Afrin and reported at least five deaths, including that of a pregnant woman.
Rescue teams are carrying out a frantic search for survivors trapped under tangles of metal and chunks of concrete in cities and towns across Turkey and Syria.
The earthquake came as the Middle East is experiencing a snowstorm that is expected to continue until Thursday.
