At least 400 people have died in both countries after one of the worst earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years. Seismic tremors were felt across the region, collapsing buildings and forcing residents to take to the streets.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck just after 4 a.m. local time on Monday, 23 kilometers east of Nurdaga in Gaziantep province at a depth of 24.1 kilometers, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. Nurdagi lies along the Turkish-Syrian border, and the earthquake was felt in several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon.
According to the AFAD agency, at least 230 people were killed in Turkey alone and over several thousand were injured. At least 242 people have been killed and about 2,000 injured in neighboring Syria, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a health ministry spokesman.
In Syria, deaths were reported in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA reported. According to the White Helmets, officially known as the Syrian Civil Defense, several hundred people are still trapped under the rubble. The earthquake occurred before dawn on Monday, when residents were asleep and unprepared for the impact.
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