CATASTROPHETURKEY
Turkey hit by powerful earthquake
1 hour ago1 hour ago
At least 15 people have died in the earthquake, which destroyed buildings across southern Turkey and northern Syria. Tremors were felt as far away as Lebanon and Cyprus.
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At least 15 people have died after a strong earthquake rocked southern and central Turkey in the early hours of Monday morning.
The US Geological Service said a 7.8-magnitude struck near the city of Gaziantep, a key industrial hub near the border with Syria. It is also near one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.
Local officials said five people died in Osmaniye Province and 10 people died in Sanliurfax Province. The death toll has threatened to climb as rescue workers clear rubble
“I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter.
“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.”
People standing outside a collapsed buildingPeople standing outside a collapsed building
The earthquake damaged buildings in Turkey’s Kahramanmaras ProvinceImage: Orhan Yoldas/AA/picture alliance
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority reported a 7.4-magnitude quake in the nearby city of Kahramanmaras.
Tremors could also be felt as far as Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus, according to correspondents of the AFP news agency.
Buildings destroyed in Turkey, Syria
Early reports said buildings had been destroyed in a number of provinces in southern Turkey.
One witness told the Reuters news agency that the quake lasted about a minute and shattered windows.
Syria’s state media also reported that some buildings had collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Hama. Tremors were also felt in Damascus.
The head of Syria’s National Earthquake Center, Raed Ahmed, told local media that this was “historically, the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the center.”
The White Helmets rescue organization said buildings also collapsed in the rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria, adding that the situation was “disastrous.”
This is a developing story and will be updated…
zc/fb (AFP, Reuters, AP)
