A major earthquake of 7.8 magnitude struck southern Turkey and Northern Syria on Monday morning, Reuters reports. Over 500 are reportedly dead with thousands injured as rescue teams go through collapsed buildings in search of survivors.
The epicenter of the quake was located just west of the Turkish city Gaziantep, with over two million residents, but other major population centers such as Adana and Aleppo in northern Syria have also been badly damaged. The earthquake was felt in Cyprus and Lebanon as well.
According to the latest numbers from Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay, 284 people have been killed by the quake in Turkey, and over 2,300 have been injured. After dispatching rescue teams and supplying aircraft to the area, Ankara also declared a ‘level 4 alarm’ which calls for international assistance.
According to estimates, over 1,700 buildings could be destroyed, and the true number of casualties might be over a thousand, with more than 5,500 injured in Turkey alone.
At least eight Turkish provinces have been affected by the earthquake, most severely Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Adana, Kilis, and Hatay. President Erdogan is in close contact with all governors in the region and is overseeing the rescue operations. Footage shows that the historic Gaziantep Castle has been seriously damaged too.
In Syria, government officials put the number of casualties at 237 along with at least 600 injuries, mostly in the provinces of Hama and Aleppo, where a significant portion of the infrastructure was already devastated by the decade-long civil war ravaging the country since 2011.
President Bashar al-Assad conveyed an emergency cabinet meeting to review the damage and decide on the next steps, his office announced. Dozens of buildings collapsed in Aleppo, Salqin, and the rebel-held Aziz; the true extent of the damage is yet to be seen. “Wounded people are still arriving in waves,” Aleppo’s health director, Ziad Hage Taha said.
World leaders have been quick to offer not only their condolences but immediate assistance, including American, British, and EU leaders as well. According to U.S. officials, Washington is closely monitoring the situation. “I have been in touch with Turkish officials to relay that we stand ready to provide any and all needed assistance,” Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security advisor said.
In Europe, the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Center is already working on the deployment of rescue teams from member states under the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. The Netherlands and Romania already dispatched their teams, but officials promise that more countries are set to join them. “We stand in full solidarity with the people of Türkiye and Syria after the deadly earthquake that hit this morning,” wrote European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter, adding that “Europe’s support is already on the way.”
The situation was addressed by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak too, who said the “UK stands ready to help whatever way we can.”
