Turkey and Syria: more than 2,000 people confirmed dead after two large earthquakes strike – latest updates

Combined death toll in Turkey and Syria rises to at least 2,300

Associated Press report that the death toll from Monday’s earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has now climbed to over 2,300 people.

At least 1,498 people were killed across 10 provinces of Turkey, with another 7,600 injured, according to the country’s disaster management agency.

The death toll in government-held areas of Syria rose to more than 430 people, with 1,280 injured, according to data from the health ministry. In the country’s north-west where the government is not in control, groups that operate there said the death toll was at least 380, with many hundreds injured.

The number is expected to continue to rise rapidly, with many people believed to be trapped under rubble in collapsed buildings.

The violent earthquake also leaves at least 7,634 injured in this country. Some 2,834 buildings collapsed with the tremor, added the president, which raises fears that the death toll will increase. 

Likewise, at least 783 people have lost their lives in neighboring Syria and 1,089 injuries are reported, bringing the death toll from the most powerful earthquake in the region in almost a century to 2,281.

The quake affected several cities, including Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, Hama, Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast.

In the regions controlled by the rebels, near Turkey, there were at least 221 deaths and 419 wounded, according to the White Helmets, aid workers who mobilize in these areas and count the victims.

Hours later, a second magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck southeastern Turkey. Its epicenter was located in Elbistan, Kahramanmaras province, about 80 kilometers north of the former.