A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake slammed southern Turkey on Monday, levelling structures in various places and causing damage in neighbouring Syria, according to the US Geological Survey.
The earthquake struck at 4:17 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of around 17.9 kilometres, according to the US agency.
A 6.7-magnitude aftershock occurred 15 minutes later.
The initial earthquake magnitude was reported to be 7.4 by Turkey’s AFAD emergency service centre.
The Turkish government did not immediately offer a death toll, but the first images showed burning houses and fallen structures at multiple sites.
According to images on Turkish television and social media:
Rescuers were seen digging through the remains of levelled buildings in Kahramanmaras and neighbouring Gaziantep.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted:
“I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake.”
Kahramanmaraş’ta meydana gelen ve ülkemizin pek çok yerinde hissedilen depremden etkilenen tüm vatandaşlarımıza geçmiş olsun dileklerimi iletiyorum. İlgili tüm birimlerimiz AFAD koordinasyonunda teyakkuz halindedir.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 6, 2023
“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.”
Biz de yaşanan deprem sonrası başlatılan çalışmaları koordine ediyoruz. Yaşadığımız bu felaketi inşallah hep birlikte en kısa sürede ve en az hasarla atlatmayı temenni ediyor, çalışmalarımızı sürdürüyoruz.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 6, 2023
Because of the earthquake’s time, the majority of people were still sleeping at home, perhaps increasing the death toll.
Some images showed terrified inhabitants standing in the snow in their jammies, watching rescuers dig through the ruins of damaged homes.
Buildings in Adiyaman and Malatya were also demolished, according to NTV news.
A fire lit up the night sky in one of Kahramanmaras’ photographs, but its source was unclear.
According to CNN Turk television, the earthquake was felt in parts of central Turkey, including the capital Ankara.
Pavan Manzoor is an experienced content writer , editor and social media handler along with a track record of youth-oriented activities in Pakistan and abroad. She was selected as a fully-funded delegate as a leadership fellow in Turkey. She also led a team of 5 volunteers at the week-long Young Professionals Fellowship in Maldives. She is also a member of the Youth Standing Committee on Higher Education.
