A strong earthquake has hit southeastern Turkey. The earthquake, which occurred on Monday at 4:17 p.m. local time in Turkey, also caused considerable damage in various parts of Syria. The death toll is expected to rise.
The latest figures released by Turkey's disaster agency said 76 people have been killed and 440 injured so far.
Syria's state news agency Sana quoted an official from the country's health ministry as saying the earthquake killed 42 people and injured 200 in Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia.
As the epicenter of the earthquake was close to the border with Syria, there was also considerable damage. Local rescue workers and residents searched for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings in several towns on both sides of the border.
Muhib Kaddur, a doctor in the Syrian town of Atmeh, told the news agency by telephone that at least 11 people were killed in the town. Many others were buried under the rubble.
He said we fear that the number of dead is more than a hundred. We are under a lot of pressure.
There are several large cities in the region on the Turkish side. These areas are home to millions of Syrian refugees.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that search and rescue teams have been sent to the quake-hit areas. Hope to overcome this disaster together as soon as possible with less damage.
Turkey's Interior Minister Sulaiman Saylu urged residents not to enter the damaged buildings, saying, "Our first task is to rescue people trapped under the collapsed buildings."
According to a statement from the United States Geological Survey, USGS, two consecutive earthquakes occurred in Turkey. The first occurred at 4:17 a.m. and had a magnitude of 7.8; The second occurred 15 minutes later. The magnitude was 6.7.
The statement added that both earthquakes originated at a depth of 17.9 kilometers below the surface near the city of Gaziantep in the country's southern province of Kahramanmaras. In addition to Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus also felt the tremors, according to a report.
Located just 30 kilometers from the border with neighboring Syria, Gaziantep is known as one of Turkey's industrial hubs. Gaziantep is one of the most populated cities in Turkey due to the development of several industries in this city and its surrounding areas. Gaziantep is also home to many Syrian refugees due to its border with Syria.
On the other side of the Gaziantep border in Syria's Aleppo province. Syria's state media reported that most buildings in the province collapsed after the earthquake. As a result, there is a risk of a significant number of casualties in Aleppo.
