7.8-magnitude quake struck Turkey and Syria: over a thousand fatalities

A strong earthquake struck southeast Turkey near the Syrian border killing over a thousand and trapping countless others. In Turkey, there were at least 5,383 injuries, and in Syria, there were 1,000. According to the US Geological Survey, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the city of Gaziantep at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT), when many people were sleeping, with a depth of 17.9 kilometers (11 miles).

Turkish seismologists determined that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7. Minutes later, they claimed, there was a second tremor in the area. It should be mentioned that Turkey is located in one of the most seismically active regions of the planet. In 1999, a devastating earthquake that shook the country's north-west claimed the lives of almost 17,000 people.

The Kahramanmaras province's Pazarcik area served as the earthquake's epicenter. Ten cities, including Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir, and Kilis, were reportedly affected, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleymon Soylu. The tremor was also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus.

More than 470 people lost their lives in Syria while the Syrian health ministry in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus reported 326 fatalities. There are worries that the number of fatalities will dramatically increase in the ensuing hours while rescue teams have been sent in to look for survivors under massive amounts of rubble after many buildings have collapsed.

On Twitter, the White Helmets rescue organization, which works in rebel-held parts of northwest Syria, reported that at least 147 people had perished there.

Gaziantep Castle, a historic structure that has stood for more than 2,000 years, was one of the structures that was destroyed. According to officials, at least 80 people died in Gaziantep, while 70 people died in Kahramanmaras.

In the province of Malatya, which is northeast of Gaziantep, at least 47 people died. To the east in Sanliurfa, there were 18 fatalities. Different locations, including Diyarbakir and Osmaniye, reported further deaths. Furthermore, a commercial center reported collapsed in the city of Diyarbakir.