Turkey- Syria Earthquake

Turkey

A massive earthquake hit southeast Turkey near the Syrian border in the early morning hours, killing over 500 people and leaving many others trapped. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake was reported by the US Geological Survey to have occurred at a depth of 17.9 km near the city of Gaziantep.

The death toll in Turkey has risen to 284 and over 230 people have died in Syria, according to state media. Many buildings have crumbled and rescue teams are searching for survivors amidst the rubble. Ten cities in Turkey have been affected, including Gaziantep, Malatya, and Sanliurfa. Over 2,323 people have been injured in Turkey and 639 in Syria. A shopping mall in the city of Diyarbakir also collapsed.

The earthquake was felt in Lebanon and Cyprus, causing panic among residents. A student in Beirut described the experience as “mind-blowing” and lasted for four to five minutes. A news producer in the Gaza Strip reported that the house he was staying in experienced around 45 seconds of shaking.