A 7,9-magnitude earthquake shook central Turkey and northwestern Syria early Monday morning, and was also felt in Cyprus and Libya, writes Reuters.
Hundreds of people died when the buildings collapsed, and the search for the victims continues. Turkey reports 76 dead and 440 injured, and emergency services continue to search for survivors. A level 4 alert is issued, which means that international assistance is requested.
Syrian state media reports that more than 100 people have lost lives and many are wounded, mostly in Hama, Aleppo, and Latakia. In a video posted on Twitter, a member of a rescue team working in a small town about five kilometers from the Turkish border said: «The situation is very tragic, tens of buildings have collapsed in the city.»
Residents of Damascus, Beirut, and Tripoli fled their homes and drove their cars as far as possible from buildings, fearing they might collapse. The same happened in Turkish cities, where people left their homes and are afraid to return to them. An eyewitness from Gaziantep informed that residents are in cars and trying to get to the most open places. He added that he did not think anyone was staying home in the city.
US White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan informed that the US is really concerned about the situation in Turkey and Syria and is closely following the latest information. «I have been in touch with Turkish officials to relay that we stand ready to provide any and all needed assistance,» Sullivan said.
Buildings in other Turkish cities were also damaged, and rescue operations began in complete darkness. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told the media that all rescue units are working on a search for survivors.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences has indicated that the tremors came from a depth of about ten kilometers, and the risk of a tsunami is being assessed. The US Geological Survey reported that the initial tremors were followed by others, around magnitude 7,8. Tremors were also felt in Ankara, 460 kilometers from the epicenter, and Cyprus.
The head of the Turkish Red Crescent relief agency, Kerem Kinik, told the Haberturk: “The earthquake struck in a region that we feared. There is serious widespread damage.» He called on the residents to donate blood.
Turkey is one of the countries in the world that is prone to earthquakes. In 1999, more than 17 thousand people died when a 7,6-magnitude earthquake hit Izmit. In 2011, the earthquake in Van took more than 500 lives.