Heavy earthquake shakes Turkey and Syria; at least 1,300 dead so far

An early Monday morning earthquake shook southern Turkey and northern Syria, causing widespread destruction, the collapse of several buildings, and a frantic hunt for survivors among the wreckage. At this time, the number of confirmed fatalities is at 1,300, with hundreds more injured. Further casualties are anticipated.

Several hours before sunrise, inhabitants on both sides of the border were roused from their beds by the earthquakes and rushed outside into the freezing rain and snow. In cities all along the frontier, dozens of buildings were destroyed.

According to Turkey’s president, at least 912 people were murdered throughout 10 provinces in Turkey, with over 5,400 more injured. According to the Health Ministry, the death toll in government-controlled parts of Syria has risen to 326, with an estimated 1,000 more injured.

The death toll in rebel-controlled territory ranged from 106 to 150. Countless people were harmed. Locals and rescuers combed through twisted metal and shards of concrete to look for anyone trapped beneath the wreckage of collapsed buildings in several border cities.

 

On the Syrian side of the border, the earthquake devastated areas held by the opposition, which were home to approximately 4 million people who had been forced to flee their homes as a result of the country’s protracted civil conflict.

The majority of them are subjected to dreary housing and inadequate medical attention. A local doctor named Muheeb Qaddour told The Associated Press over the phone that at least 11 people had been killed in the town of Atmeh and that many more were likely trapped under the wreckage.

 

The epicenter of the quake, which was felt in Cairo, was located around 60 miles (90 kilometers) from the Syrian border, just north of Gaziantep, the provincial capital of Turkey with a population of over 2 million. More than a decade of fighting in Syria has left its mark on the surrounding area.

Turkey is currently hosting millions of Syrian refugees. Divides exist between government- and opposition-held territory in the region hit by the earthquake in Syria. After several hours of daylight had passed, at least 20 aftershocks occurred, the biggest registering 6.6 on the Richter scale, according to Turkish authorities.

Immediately after the earthquake, “search and rescue personnel were despatched,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted. The group “hopes to get through this calamity together as quickly and with as little harm as possible,” he stated.

Reports of collapsed buildings stretched from Aleppo and Hama in Syria to Diyarbakir in Turkey, about 200 kilometres to the northeast. Traffic congestion were generated by individuals fleeing the quake-affected areas in Turkey, making it more difficult for rescue workers to get to those places.

 

The government strongly discouraged people from using the roadways. Many mosques in the area have opened their doors to those who are unable to return to their damaged homes because of the persistently cold weather.

According to the USGS, the epicenter of the tremor was roughly 33 kilometers (20 miles) from the city of Gaziantep. The epicenter was about 18 kilometers (11 miles) below the surface. Many Damascenes fled to the streets in panic as their buildings shook.

The earthquake hit during a snowfall that would last through Thursday in the Middle East.Turkey is prone to earthquakes because of its location on or near several major fault lines. Intense earthquakes struck the north, killing around 18,000.