Deadly earthquake kills hundreds in Turkey and Syria; death toll likely to rise

A powerful earthquake of 7.8 magnitude created havoc in Turkey and Syria, which led to the deaths of more than 100 people in the early hours of Monday morning. It is considered one of the deadliest quakes to occur in the region this century.

In this shocking incident, hundreds were injured, and the number of casualties is likely to go up. Rescue workers have been searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings in affected areas.

The quake took place at 4:17 am local time, when most people were sleeping at home, and it struck 23 kilometres east of Nurdagi in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, an industrial hub of the country, as per a report by Anadolu agency.

Television images revealed that a huge number of people in Turkey came out of their respective houses and were standing in shock in the shivering cold, sadly watching the rescue teams as they tried to bring out the trapped people from the debris of damaged buildings.

Syrian state media, SANA, stated that at least 42 people died in the Turkish capital Ankara and nearby areas, heavy casualties also occurred near the Syria Lebanon border. Exams that were scheduled to begin on Monday at two Syrian universities have been postponed.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted that search and rescue workers have been dispatched immediately to the affected areas.

The Turkish president is expected to take the matter very seriously and would like to go to any length to support the effective areas, because elections are scheduled to take place in Turkey later this year. He went on to say that our rescue team has been working nonstop to assist the victims.

People are sharing footage of the destroyed buildings and those who are trapped in the rubble on social media.