A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Syria and Türkiye early Monday, followed by several aftershocks, causing widespread destruction. Multiple buildings collapsed, reportedly burying people under the rubble. The magnitude 7.8 tremor caused buildings to collapse and was felt as far as Lebanon and Cyprus.
The jolts caused a widespread destruction with multiple multi-storey buildings collapsed, according to disturbing footage captured by witnesses.
A major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck southeastern Turkey and northwest Syria, killing more than 1,400 people and injuring hundreds in both countries as buildings collapsed across the region, triggering searches for survivors in the rubble.
By 6:30am, Türkiye’s crisis response center, SAKOM, confirmed that at least 76 people were killed and another 440 injured in the provinces of Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis.
The death toll from a powerful earthquake has risen to 111 in Syria, while more than 500 people have been injured, the Syrian Health Ministry said on Monday.
Earlier reports indicated that 99 people died as a result of the Monday earthquake, while 334 were injured.
The fatal tremor lasted about a minute, and was felt as far as Cyprus and Lebanon, sending terrified residents into snowy streets to avoid being crushed within the crumbling structures.
The quake happened around 4:16 am local time and was centered some 30 kilometers from Gaziantep, a major provincial capital with a population of over 2 million people.
There was no immediate estimate of casualties, but according to Turkish media reports, multiple buildings were damaged or destroyed in the province of Gaziantep and across the neighboring Diyarbakir and Malatya, with their residents feared trapped under the rubble.
Turkish authorities declared the highest level of emergency, with all rescue services and first responders mobilized to aid the affected provinces, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed his condolences to all victims, confirming that search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to affected areas, while all other government institutions are coordinating their response.
📹 | #BREAKING: Buildings collapsed across cities close to the #earthquake epicenter in #Türkiye‘s Kahramanmaras.
📹 | #BREAKING: Buildings collapsed across cities close to the #earthquake epicenter in #Türkiye's Kahramanmaras. pic.twitter.com/oSaSK38fcm
— EHA News (@eha_news) February 6, 2023
The quake, felt as far away as Cairo, was centered north of the city of Gaziantep in an about 60 miles from the Syrian border.
Across the border in Syria, several residential buildings reportedly collapsed in Aleppo as well as the city of Hama, according to local media. The quake was so powerful that shakes were felt all across the region, as far as Israel, Lebanon and Cyprus. Read More
AP reported:
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook southeast Turkey early Monday and was followed by another strong temblor. It was felt in several provinces in the region and knocked down a number of buildings, reports said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi.
It was centered 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A strong 6.7 temblor rumbled about 10 minutes later.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency, AFAD, said the quake measured 7.4 and was centered in the town of Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province.
Several buildings tumbled down in the neighboring provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk television reported. There was no immediate reports on casualties.
Videos:
Video shows a building laying in ruins in Adana, Turkey.
Video shows a building laying in ruins in Adana, Turkey.https://t.co/RCkAnlIzdf
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) February 6, 2023
Numerous residential buildings have collapsed.
VIDEO:
DEVELOPING: I’ve now seen multiple reports that numerous buildings some as many as 7+ floors have collapsed or partially collapsed in Diyarbakir, Turkey, following major 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
DEVELOPING: I've now seen multiple reports that numerous buildings some as many as 7+ floors have collapsed or partially collapsed in Diyarbakir, Turkey, following major 7.8 magnitude earthquake. 😔https://t.co/2lXMiUO3BQ
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) February 6, 2023