Major earthquake in Turkey, Syria kills 2600 people

Monday, February 6, 2023

A powerful earthquake has hit a wide area in south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, killing more than 200 people and trapping many others.

The US Geological Survey said the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9km (11 miles) near the city of Gaziantep.

In Turkey, officials confirmed more than 76 deaths so far and 10 cities hit, including Diyarbakir. In Syria, more than 50 people were killed, state media reported. Some of the popular tourist attractions in southeast Turkey are Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Göbekli Tepe, Harran,Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Nemrut Dağı and Şanlıurfa, which are still in good condition.

There are fears the death toll will rise sharply in the coming hours. Many buildings have collapsed and rescue teams have been deployed to search for survivors under huge piles of rubble..

Turkish Interior Minister Suleymon Soylu said 10 cities were affected: Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis. In Malatya province, north-east of Gaziantep, at least 23 people were killed, local officials said. In Sanliurfa, to the east, there were 17 deaths. And more deaths were reported in Diyarbakir and Osmaniye.

The tremor was also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus. Turkish seismologists estimated the strength of the quake to be 7.4 magnitude. They said that a second tremor hit the region just minutes later. Turkey lies in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.

New 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits Turkey

At least 560 people were killed across Syria after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck neighboring Turkey before dawn on Monday, the government and rescue workers said.

The official news agency SANA, citing the health ministry, said at least 339 people were killed and 1,089 injured in government-controlled areas of the war-torn country. The White Helmets rescue group said at least 221 were killed and 419 injured in rebel-held areas.

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