Mon 06 February 2023:
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and northern Syria.
At least 1,121 deaths were reported in Turkey, while 783 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.
7.5 quake hitting in the same region hours later amid several aftershocks.
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.
Hospitals in Syria ‘overwhelmed’: Relief organisation
The healthcare system in Syria is “overwhelmed” by the number of people in need of medical attention, especially as some hospitals have been damaged by the quake, Mazen Kiwara, Middle East regional director for the Syrian American Medical Society, told Al Jazeera.
Kiwara said his team had to evacuate a maternity hospital in Afrin and reported at least five deaths, including that of a pregnant woman.
“Right now we have a crisis, in addition to very bad weather conditions and collapsed buildings,” he said.
“The effort should be focused on the humanitarian response, especially in shelter and health to protect the population of more than 1.5 million people in northwest Syria alone.”
Moments of #earthquake in #Turkey.#earthquake #Syria #Iraq #Turkey #Iran#TurkeyEarthquake pic.twitter.com/416FgoYZ2K
— Mirza Ali (@MirzaAli09) February 6, 2023
Syrian health ministry says more than 200 dead
Some 237 people have been killed and 639 injured in Syria in the powerful earthquake, Assistant Health Minister Ahmed Dhamiriyeh told state television.
The affected part of Syria is divided between government- and opposition-held areas.
In rebel-held northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation as “disastrous”, adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble.
WATCH: Neighborhood in Harem, Syria destroyed by earthquake pic.twitter.com/AAYnqWPu4j
— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) February 6, 2023
Civilians dig by hand as rescue services overwhelmed in Syria
Civilians are helping rescue teams as they attempt to reach hundreds of people still believed to be trapped under the rubble, Al Jazeera’s Suhaib Al Khalaf has said.
Al Khalaf, reporting from Harem, Northern Syria, added that civil defence teams were overwhelmed by the scale of the destruction as the health sector also struggled to cater to the injured.
More than 1,700 buildings collapse in Turkey: Presidency
Hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble. Nearly 900 buildings were destroyed in Turkey’s Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras provinces, said Vice President Fuat Otkay.
He placed the total number of collapsed buildings at 1,718.
🇸🇾 : Footage of Shrine of Sayyida Zaynab during the earthquake in Damascus in #Syria pic.twitter.com/i026lTxN0i
— Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) February 6, 2023
#BREAKING Destruction in Afrin, Syria from the earthquake. Several people are still stuck under the rubble.#BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/xOgpgiislA
— The HbK (@The5HbK) February 6, 2023
Death toll in Turkey rises to 284 people: Presidency
At least 284 people have died in Turkey, Vice President Fuat Oktay said.
He added that more than 2,300 have been injured and search and rescue operations are ongoing in several major cities.
PHOTOS: Death toll in Turkey rises to 284 people: Presidency
At least 284 people have died in Turkey, Vice President Fuat Oktay has said, adding that more than 2,300 people have been injured and that search and rescue operations are ongoing in several major cities. pic.twitter.com/xuQkaiEHiD
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 6, 2023
Death toll likely to keep rising: Expert
Martin Mai, professor of geophysics at King Abdullah University, has told Al Jazeera the death toll from “one of the largest earthquakes experienced [in the region] for hundreds of years” is likely to keep rising over the coming days.
“In the past, these earthquakes in Turkey have led to about 13,000 fatalities owing to the style of building construction. The sheer size of this event will have a profound economic impact as well,” Mai said.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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