Turkey Earthquake: A powerful earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday toppling buildings across the region. At least 9,500 were killed and hundreds injured, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers continue to look for survivors amid the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Rescue workers and residents frantically searched for survivors under the rubble of crushed buildings in multiple cities on both sides of the border. In one quake-struck Turkish city, dozens pulled away chunks of concrete and twisted metal. People on the street shouted up to others inside a partially toppled apartment building, leaning dangerously.
The quake, felt as far away as Cairo, was centered north of the city of Gaziantep in an area about 90 kilometers (60 miles) from the Syrian border. On the Syrian side of the border, the quake smashed opposition-held regions that are packed with some 4 million Syrians displaced from other parts of the country by the long civil war. Many of them live in decrepit conditions with little health care. At least 11 were killed in one town, Atmeh, and many more were buried in the rubble, a doctor in the town, Muheeb Qaddour, told The Associated Press by telephone.
“We fear that the deaths are in the hundreds,” Qaddour said, referring to the rebel-held northwest. “We are under extreme pressure. ” On the Turkish side, the area has several large cities and is home to millions of Syrian refugees.
The US Geological Survey said quake was centred about 33 kilometres (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 26 kilometres (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi. It was centred 18 kilometres (11 miles) deep, according to the US Geological Survey. A strong 6.7 temblor rumbled about 10 minutes later added to panic among locals. It was felt in several provinces in the region and knocked down a number of buildings, reports said.
Tremors were also felt in Cyprus, Türkiye, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, United Kingdom, Iraq and Georgia.
Several buildings tumbled down in the neighbouring provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk television reported.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Syria's state media reported that some buildings collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Hama.
In Syria's rebel-held northwest that borders Turkey several buildings collapsed, according to the opposition's Syrian civil Defence. There was no immediate word on casualties. In Beirut and Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear.
