Following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, more than 1,300 people died in Turkey and Syria. Rescue personnel and locals combed through the debris of damaged buildings in search of survivors.

Advertisements

More than 1,300 people were killed, and countless houses were destroyed early Monday morning when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey and northern Syria.

Advertisements

In towns and cities throughout the area, the earthquake sparked searches for survivors in the rubble. There will probably be more fatalities.

Advertisements

The earthquake woke people in both countries several hours before morning, and they hurried outside into the rain, snow, and cold. Cities in the region saw the collapse of dozens of structures.

In numerous cities in both countries, rescue personnel and locals looked under the wreckage of demolished structures for survivors.
Witnesses in the Turkish city of Adana claimed to have heard one individual pleading for assistance from among the building debris.

It was alleged that the person said, “I don’t have the strength to go on.”

Cranes and rescue crews in Diyarbakir navigated a mass of flattened concrete floors that previously comprised an apartment building.

The earthquake in Syria destroyed opposition-held areas home to around 4 million refugees from other parts of the nation due to the ongoing civil war there. Many people have access to poor health care and poor living conditions.

According to Muheeb Qaddour, a local doctor, at least 11 people were killed, and numerous others were buried under the debris in the town of Atmeh.

In the northwest, controlled by rebels, Qaddour stated, “We worry that the deaths are in the hundreds.” “Extreme pressure is on us.”

Even Cairo could feel the earthquake. About 60 kilometers from the Syrian border, its core was located.

Hours after the first quake, at least 20 aftershocks occurred, with the biggest having a magnitude of 7.5, according to Turkish authorities.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted that search and rescue teams were immediately sent to the affected districts.

He wrote that we aim to survive this catastrophe quickly and with as little damage as possible.

At least 76 fatalities and 440 injuries were reported in seven Turkish regions by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Service. According to official Syrian media, there have now been 237 fatalities and at least 630 injuries in portions of the country controlled by the government. In rebel-held regions, there were reportedly at least 47 fatalities.

Authorities in Turkey warned citizens from using the highways because rescue attempts were hampered by traffic congestion caused by individuals trying to evacuate the devastated areas. Mosques have opened up all over the area as shelters for people unable to return to their damaged homes because of the frigid conditions.
Syrian Civil Defense, an opposition group, reported “disastrous” conditions in the northwest of the country where individuals are trapped under the rubble, and entire buildings have collapsed. Civil defense instructed people to leave installations and congregate in open spaces.

USGS states that the earthquake’s epicenter was around 20 miles from Gaziantep. It was 11 kilometers deep in the center.

Residents of Lebanon were also awakened by the earthquake, which shook the buildings for 40 seconds. Many Beirut inhabitants fled their homes, took to the streets, or sped away from the buildings in their cars.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Advertisements

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here