February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

Our live coverage of the major earthquake in Turkey and Syria has moved here.

The leaders of Australia and New Zealand on Monday announced a combined total of $11.5 million in aid for victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

During a joint news conference in Canberra on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country would provide an initial $10 million in humanitarian assistance through the Red Cross, Red Crescent and humanitarian agencies.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who is on his first state visit to Australia, said Wellington would contribute $1.5 million.

In a statement Tuesday, New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the “humanitarian contribution will support teams from the Turkish Red Crescent and Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver essential relief items such as food supplies, tents and blankets, and provide lifesaving medical assistance and psychological support.”

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) is urging people to stay off the roads to help search and rescue efforts following the earthquake.

“Please leave the roads open and do not go into traffic unless necessary so the search and rescue teams and the emergency vehicles that are directed to the earthquake zones can carry out their work,” the agency tweeted Monday.  

At least 300,000 blankets, 24,712 beds, and 19,722 tents have been sent to affected earthquake areas, AFAD said. 

AFAD said in order to provide “psycho-social” support services to affected individuals, 765 personnel workers and 50 vehicles were dispatched to affected earthquake areas.  

The first of two Indian disaster relief teams left for Turkey on Monday night, according to the Indian Air Force.

The Indian Air Force tweeted Tuesday that a C-17, a strategic transport aircraft, left for Turkey “bearing search and rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted a similar post, writing, “The first batch of earthquake relief material leaves for Türkiye, along with NDRF Search and Rescue Teams, specially trained dog squads, medical supplies, drilling machines and other necessary equipment.”

The rescue efforts come in the wake of a deadly earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday. Soon after, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences with his office saying in a statement that “relief material would be dispatched immediately” in coordination with the Turkish government.

“Two teams of NDRF comprising 100 personnel with specially trained dog squads and necessary equipment are ready to be flown to the earthquake hit area for search and rescue operations,” the statement said. “Medical teams are also being readied with trained doctors and paramedics with essential medicines. Relief material will be dispatched in coordination with the Government of Republic of Türkiye and Indian Embassy in Ankara and Consulate General office in Istanbul.”

India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar also extended his condolences, tweeting Monday night that he had contacted his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad.

“Expressed solidarity and conveyed our support including through supply of medicines,” he tweeted.

At least 100 aftershocks measuring 4.0 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.

As the time from the original earthquake extends, the frequency and magnitude of the aftershocks tend to decrease. However, 5.0 to 6.0-plus aftershocks are still likely to occur and bring a risk of additional damage to structures that are compromised from the original earthquake. This brings a continued threat to rescue teams and survivors.

The aftershocks stretch for more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) along the fault zone that ruptured in southern Turkey, oriented from southwest to northeast and stretching from the border with Syria up through the province of Malatya.

Planes carrying aid shipments from Iraq and Iran arrived at Damascus International Airport after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated Turkey and Syria, Syrian state media SANA reported.

The Iranian aid arrived on Monday and the Iraqi aid was delivered early Tuesday morning local time, SANA reported.

Mahdi Ghanem, an official at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told SANA that each plane carried about 70 tons of food, medical supplies, blankets and necessary supplies.

On Monday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani announced they would send a shipment of emergency medical supplies, first aid and shelter supplies as well as medicine and fuel.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad he would dispatch humanitarian aid to the area, Iranian state media IRNA reported.

Japan has sent the country’s Disaster Relief Rescue Team in response to the earthquake in Turkey, according to a Monday statement by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Upon the request of the Government of Turkey, and in light of humanitarian perspective and Japan’s friendship relations with Turkey, Japan has decided to provide this emergency assistance to Turkey to meet its humanitarian needs,” the statement read.

The Disaster Relief Rescue Team departed for Turkey on Monday night to support search and rescue operations, the statement read.

At least 4,372 deaths have been confirmed after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria early Monday.

Turkey’s toll rose to 2,921 as of Tuesday morning, according to Yunus Sezer, Turkey’s head of disaster services.

A total of 15,834 injuries have been reported, Sezer said in a news conference in Ankara.

Sezer said he would provide a more comprehensive update at 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. ET).

In Syria, 1,451 deaths and 3,531 injuries have been reported by officials.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is sending 78 members of their Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team to Turkey after the country experienced devastating earthquakes Monday, the department announced in a news release. 

At the request of the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the fire department is sending the USAR team, known as USA-2, and an additional seven personnel members to assist operations, they said. 

The team will depart Monday evening and may be deployed for two weeks or longer, the department said. 

“This USAR team is the best of the best and will be instrumental in saving lives and rescuing people who continue to be stuck under rubble,” said Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County fifth district supervisor, in a release.

The USAR team includes rescue specialists, physicians, K-9 search teams and structural engineers who have spent a lot of time training for these events, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a news conference Monday evening.  

“This team is highly skilled and elite in urban search and rescue and is specially trained to assist in rescue efforts, especially in earthquakes like the one that just struck central or southeast Turkey,” Marrone said. 

One of the team’s biggest concerns is how they are going to be able to get to the areas in Turkey that need help after so much infrastructure collapsed during the quake, North Region Deputy Fire Chief Tom Ewald said. The United States Agency for International Development is currently working on those logistics, he added.  

The Los Angeles USAR team will be joined by the Virginia Task Force 1, which is sending a crew of 79 members and six dogs to Turkey, the team tweeted on Monday.

The weather and the scale of the disaster are creating challenges for aid teams, according to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, who spoke during a news conference carried out live on CNN Turk on Monday evening from Hatay Emergency Coordination Center.   

“The weather conditions and the scale of the disaster make it hard for our teams to reach the region,” Koca said, adding “our helicopters could not take off today due to weather conditions.”   

“Heavy snowstorms have also recently hit parts of Syria and Türkiye, with further sub-zero temperatures forecasted,” UNICEF said in a statement released on Monday.   

All state institutions have been mobilized in the recovery effort, including the national police, municipal workers, the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency and the Gendarmerie, an armed general law enforcement organization part of Interior Ministry that maintains security and safety.   

At least 2,256 emergency health personnel workers have so far reached earthquake-affected provinces, the health minister said.   

At least 602 ambulances and two ambulance planes have been dispatched from neighboring cities. Also, 187 teams part of Turkey’s National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) have also been dispatched. 

“We have moved teams from surrounding provinces to the region,” the minister said.   

Iskenderun State Hospital, a hospital in the city of Iskenderun, collapsed due to the earthquake.

UNICEF says that thousands of homes have likely been destroyed following an earthquake in Turkey and Syria on Monday.

“Thousands of homes are likely to have been destroyed, displacing families and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures regularly drop below freezing and snow and freezing rain are common. Heavy snowstorms have also recently hit parts of Syria and Türkiye, with further sub-zero temperatures forecasted,” UNICEF said in a statement.

At least 3,830 deaths have been confirmed after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria early Monday.  In Turkey alone, at least 5,606 buildings collapsed, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency. There are reports of similar devastation in northern Syria.

It is also likely that hospitals and schools, along with other medical and education facilities, were “damaged or destroyed,” UNICEF said.

UNICEF is working with the Turkish government and Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management on the “emerging needs linked to the wider humanitarian response,” the statement said, adding that the group is also preparing to support efforts in Syria.

“Children in Syria continue to face one of the most complex humanitarian situations in the world. A worsening economic crisis, continued localized hostilities after more than a decade of grinding conflict, mass displacement and devastated public infrastructure have left two-thirds of the population in need of assistance… waterborne diseases pose another deadly threat to children and families affected,” UNICEF said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sent condolences to “the people of Turkiye and Syria” and offered to help Turkey.

“Korea sends our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” he tweeted. “We stand ready to assist Turkiye, a brotherhood forged in blood during the Korean War, in any way possible.”

US President Joe Biden “reaffirmed” that the United States is ready to help Turkey in the aftermath of a recent earthquake and “expressed condolences on behalf of the American people” when he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, according to a readout of the call provided by the White House.

Biden said the US was ready to “provide any and all needed assistance to our NATO Ally Turkey in response to this tragedy,” according to the White House. “President Biden expressed condolences on behalf of the American people to those who were injured or lost loved ones in the earthquakes.” 

“He noted that U.S. teams are deploying quickly to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate other assistance that may be required by people affected by the earthquakes, including health services or basic relief items,” the readout added.

US Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake said Monday two US search and rescue units will be sent to Turkey to assist with search and rescue efforts.

US Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power said in a statement that these will be USAID Urban Search and Rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California, Fire Departments.

Power said the agency has already deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team which is “assessing the situation, identifying priority humanitarian needs, and working to provide search and rescue,” according to the statement.

The two additional USAID teams on the way will coordinate with authorities in Turkey and “other responding organizations to provide life-saving assistance,” Power said in the statement.

The medical organization Doctors Without Borders — also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) — responded to “overwhelming needs” following the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, according to a statement from the organization.

“Following the powerful earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on February 6, 2023, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams working in northwestern Syria have mobilized with local partners to respond to the increasing needs in the area,” the statement read.

The statement noted a staff member of MSF was found dead under rubble and others lost family members following the disaster.

“We are very shocked and saddened by the impact of this disaster on the thousands of people touched by it, including our colleagues and their families,” said Sebastien Gay, MSF head of mission in Syria. 

Gay said medical facilities are overwhelmed by impact and “medical personnel in northern Syria [are] working around the clock to respond to the huge numbers of wounded arriving to the facilities.”

“[In] the first hours [of the disaster], our teams treated around 200 wounded and we received 160 casualties in the facilities and the clinics that we run or support in northern Idlib. Our ambulances are also deployed to assist [people].” he said.

“The needs are very high in northwestern Syria as this [earthquake] adds a dramatic layer for vulnerable [people] who are still struggling after many years of war,” Gay said. “The massive consequences of this disaster will require a [scaled up] international aid effort.” 

The statement also said the number of deaths and injuries are increasing by the hour.

“MSF remains in close contact with the local authorities in northwestern Syria and with the authorities in Turkey to extend our support where it’s needed. We are currently assessing the situation and needs in Idlib, northern Aleppo, and southern Turkey to scale up our response accordingly,” the statement read.

More than 3,800 people have died and thousands more were injured after a massive earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday morning. 

The magnitude 7.8 quake was one of the strongest to strike the area in more than a century. Amid severe aftershocks, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) called for international help.

Here’s what to know:

At least 3,830 deaths have been confirmed after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria early Monday.

The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 2,379, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said.

In Syria, 711 deaths were reported in government-controlled areas, according to state news agency SANA.

The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the “White Helmets,” reported there were 740 deaths in areas controlled by the opposition.

The total number of injured climbed to 3,531 across Syria and 14,483 in Turkey.

Two search and rescue units from the United States will be sent to Turkey to assist with the aftermath of the earthquake, US Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake told CNN on Monday.

“There will be two teams from the US. One from Fairfax County and another from Los Angeles — what they call these heavy units, each with I think 70 personnel with search dogs as well as paramedics,” Flake said. “That’s what we are told is needed.”

Flake said that Turkey is going to need help with destroyed structures, saying that the last he knew was that 28 buildings were either down or partially damaged.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with his counterpart on Monday, the State Department said.

“Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister [Mevlüt] Çavuşoğlu discussed ways the United States and our partners could best assist. Secretary Blinken confirmed our initial assistance response was already underway and pledged to do all that we can in coordination with Türkiye to assist the victims of the earthquake in both Türkiye and Syria,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said. 

In terms of getting support into Syria, Flake noted there are a number of humanitarian and church groups the US has worked in the country. He said it makes it “doubly difficult” that there is no functioning government in Syria. 

Flake suggested that Americans direct donations through the Red Cross, non-profits and church groups if they want to help.

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02:05 - Source: cnn

As the death toll rises and rescue workers continue to search for survivors, thousands more seek shelter after their homes were destroyed or damaged too badly to be safe. Here are some of the images we’ve seen as darkness falls across the region.

Syrians urgently need assistance after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit part of the country and Turkey early Monday, United Nations’ Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen said.

“I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call on the international community to help the thousands suffering from loss. Syrians urgently need global assistance,” Pederson said.

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 3,452 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

The total number of injured in Turkey and Syria climbed to 15,762 on Monday.

The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 2,316, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD). 

The total death toll in Syria rose to 1,136. SANA reports 656 across government-controlled areas and the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 480 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.

Turkey has at least 13,293 and Syria has 2,469 injured people following the devastating earthquake.

Iraq has announced it will send aid to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria, according to a statement released Monday from Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed S. Al-Sudani.  

“Iraq set up today an air bridge to both Syria and Turkiye to send urgent relief aid, which includes emergency medical supplies, first aid, and shelter supplies and medicine and fuel,” Al-Sudani explained.  

“These efforts align with the Iraqi commitment to humanitarian cooperation with brotherly and friendly peoples and solidarity with the victims of the humanitarian disaster,” the prime minister said.  

Following the order of al-Sudani, Iraqi Military transport aircraft sent the first shipment of humanitarian, medical, and food aid to Damascus Airport in Syria, the Iraqi defense ministry said in a statement on Monday.  

The defense ministry said this is “to alleviate the burden of the crisis that Syria is going through after the catastrophe of the earthquake that struck,” Turkey and Syria.   

The situation in Syria is “really tough” after a devastating earthquake hit the region on Monday, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, El-Mostafa Benlamlih, told CNN.

“The search and rescue is hampered by the situation here where there is a lack of heavy equipment and machinery to clear the rubble,” he said. “The situation in Syria is really, really, tough. Beyond the crisis that we have been given, it’s not easy to import things…. It’s not easy to find spare parts for that equipment. And nobody expected this anyway – so it wasn’t at the top of priorities.”

Benlamlih said the work will continue, “and we have teams in Aleppo and Hama, and other places trying to assess the situation.”

Many buildings collapsed around northwest Syria during the earthquake, and more could still fall, Benlamlih said.

“Buildings in those places are already very vulnerable, and it might not be a surprise to have other buildings coming down. Particularly as we’re facing also very tough conditions of work with the rain, and with the snow that is I think expected tonight in all of northwest Syria,” Benlamlih said.

“Many people are very scared. They don’t want to go back to their houses if we can call them houses, in these cases,” Benlamlih said, “They are afraid of the tremors. So they are spending their nights in freezing temperatures.”

Benlamlih said that the UN has a stock of supplies they have been distributed, but more supplies are needed.

At least 5,606 buildings collapsed during and after the earthquake on Monday, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency. 

There are a total of 19,574 rescue personnel working in the earthquake region for recovery efforts, an AFAD statement said. 

Turkish Airlines announced Monday that flight operations to Adana, Elazig, and Diyarbakir continue for citizens who want to reach the earthquake zone.

According to Afad’s statement, the airports in Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, and Adıyaman are open to all flights. Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa Airports are only open to aid flights while Kahramanmaraş and Hatay airports are closed to flights due to the earthquake damage, an AFAD statement said. 

The death toll in Turkey climbed to 2,316 on Monday, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD). 

The European Union has activated its crisis response mechanism in order to coordinate the bloc’s support measures to Turkey and Syria quicker after devastating earthquakes on Monday. 

“The Swedish presidency has decided on 6 February 2023 to activate the integrated political crisis response (IPCR) to coordinate EU support measures in response to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, in close collaboration with the European Commission,” the EU Council said in a statement. 

The IPCR arrangements strengthen the EU’s ability to take rapid decisions when facing major cross-sectoral crises requiring a response at EU level, it said. 

Through this mechanism, the presidency of the Council coordinates the political response to the crisis by bringing together EU institutions, member states and other key actors, the EU Council added. 

At least 77 aftershocks measuring 4.0 or greater have occurred since a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey Monday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Three of the aftershocks have measured 6.0 or greater, including a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck 95 kilometers (59 miles) north of the epicenter of the main quake.

The aftershocks stretch for more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) along the fault zone that ruptured in southern Turkey, oriented from southwest to northeast and stretching from the border with Syria up through the province of Malatya.

Conditions in northwest Syria are “terrifying” in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake on Monday, according to eyewitnesses.

The quake left “entire families dead” and “survivors sleeping on the streets in the freezing cold,” they told CNN.

Dr. Mostafa Edo, a Country Director for the US-based NGO MedGlobal – who has lived in Idlib for the past three years – spent Monday distributing aid to hospitals across Syria’s northwest region. 

He said what made this earthquake particularly terrifying was how long it lasted.

“In the building where I live [in Idlib], my neighbor lives with his parents, both of whom have a disability. He couldn’t leave home during the earthquake because he had to stay by their side because they couldn’t leave home. They had to stay in place for hours that were absolutely horrific as the earthquake and aftershocks took place,” Edo said. 

He added, “One of my colleagues, who I’ve worked with for more than five years, was killed about two years ago in Russian airstrikes. I found out today that his whole family, his wife and kids, all passed away today when their building collapsed.” 

Limited resources to treat wounded: Edo said many hospitals in the area are not prepared for emergencies like this, and that his team distributed supplies to hospitals receiving the largest number of patients. There is still a high demand for supplies like orthopedic plates used to treat fractures, but that he and his team couldn’t find enough to meet that demand.

“Hospitals right now are starting to suffer from electricity outages. A great number of hospitals, which were relying on electricity supplies from Turkey over the years, will now have to start depending on generators, which require diesel,” Edo said, adding that cities he traveled to on Monday including Harem, Darkush, Kafr Takharim and Tal Mileh, have been “particularly difficult” because paramedics are unable to use heavy machinery to help with rescue operations “due to fears that people are still alive under the rubble of buildings that have totally collapsed.”

Khalil Ashawi, a photojournalist based in Jindayris in Syria’s northwest, said that in his 10 years of covering the war in Syria, he hasn’t witnessed scenes as disastrous as the ones he witnessed Monday.

“It’s a disaster. Paramedics and firefighters are trying to help, but unfortunately, there is too much for them to deal with. They can’t handle it all,” Ashawi said. “Entire families have been killed. Seven to eight people from the same family, all gone. These are the sort of situations I am seeing and hearing about today,” he said. 

“It is freezing at the moment, and there are so many people sleeping in the streets right now because they have no homes to go to,” Ashawi added.

Ashawi’s family is based in Turkey. He says his mom and dad, who live in Antakya, have been missing since Monday morning. 

More than 2,700 people have been killed and thousands more injured after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria early Monday. Officials continue to update the death toll as rescue efforts continue. 

Palestinian civil defense and medical teams will be sent to Turkey and Syria to help in rescue operations following the deadly earthquake that rocked the region, the Palestinian Authority’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Shtayyeh, said in a statement on Monday.

“The necessary arrangements have been made for the arrival of rescue teams with the Syrian and Turkish countries to facilitate access to the affected areas and provide assistance to the earthquake victims,” Shtayyeh said.

After Turkey and Syria experienced the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, US Geological Survey recorded more than 60 aftershocks, including a major one at 7.5 magnitude.

Remember: All aftershocks are individual earthquakes, but as long as they are not stronger that the original, main quake, they are considered aftershocks.

Here’s where these aftershocks struck:

President Joe Biden will speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “very soon,” the White House said Monday, as Turkey reels from a devastating earthquake that left thousands dead and at least 14,000 people injured. 

“We anticipate the president and President Erdogan will have an opportunity to speak very soon and we will certainly have a readout when that conversation occurs,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at an afternoon press briefing. 

 The two leaders last spoke in person at the G20 summit in November.

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,724 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria early Monday. 

The total number of injured climbed to 13,580, based on information provided by various agencies. Turkey has at least 11,119 injured people and Syria has 2,461 injured people following the quake.

The total death toll in Syria rose to 1,073. News agency SANA reports 593 across government-controlled areas and the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 480 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.

The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651, according to Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay. 

This is CNN journalist Eyad Kourdi’s first-hand account of experiencing the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Gaziantep, Turkey:

It was just after 4:15 a.m. and my parents woke up in terror, screaming as the ground shook underneath us. I shouted at them to take cover. “It’s going to be over soon, it’s going to be over soon,” I yelled, even as it felt like it would never end.

I wasn’t too worried at first. It’s just another minor earthquake, the kind we feel every couple of months around here, I thought. But just a few seconds later, it became so shaky that furniture was falling over and I could hear objects smashing. The force felt like somebody trying to knock me over, I could feel the violent reverberations in my chest. I fell to the ground. The shaking kept going. It was minutes before it finally stopped.

We ran out of the house, in our pajamas and slippers. It was freezing cold and pouring down with rain. There was snow on the ground. The whole neighborhood was in the streets.

I rushed back inside to grab some coats and proper boots and we jumped into a car to move into an open area, away from the buildings. I heard ambulances and fire trucks heading into the old town, which is full of older, more fragile structures.

The aftershocks kept coming during the day. Some were unbelievably strong. One struck when I was right next to a badly damaged large building. A civil defense official shouted at everybody to run.

Later, I drove to Pazarcık, a town of 35,000 people that’s closer to the epicenter. It felt like Armageddon. There’s at least one completely destroyed building in every single street.

I stayed in Pazarcık for 30 minutes and, in that short time, I felt four aftershocks. It didn’t seem safe to stay, so I drove back to Gaziantep.

That’s when the ground started trembling again. It felt biblical. Everybody ran out of their cars. The shaking was so strong that I was barely able to stay on my feet. The water in the ditch next to the road was violently thrashing back and forth like in a storm.

In Gaziantep, we are sheltering inside a mosque where it’s safer than in our house. Municipal workers have been distributing water, bread and warm rice.

I know it would be even safer to stay outside, in case there are more aftershocks. But the temperature is just above freezing. My parents can’t stay in the open.

Eyad Kourdi reported from Gaziantep and Ivana Kottasova wrote from London.

Several archeological sites in Syria were damaged following the powerful earthquake that shook the region on Monday morning, according to Syria’s Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM).

The 13th century Aleppo Citadel “suffered minor and moderate damage in which parts of the Ottoman mill fell, [there is] cracking and falling of parts of the northeast defensive fences. Large parts of the dome of the lighthouse of the Ayubi Mosque also fell, the entrances to the castle were damaged, and parts of the stone, including the entrance of the royal defense tower, and the front of the Ottoman refuge were damaged”, DGAM said in a Facebook post.

Syria’s once-storied, ancient city of Aleppo in the country’s northwest was seriously damaged in the ongoing civil war, but reopened in 2018 after reconstruction work DGAM says that artifacts inside the National Museum in Aleppo were damaged in Monday’s earthquake.

DGAM also reports damage to historical buildings and mosques in the Hama Governorate in western-central Syria, such as cracks in the structure and collapsed walls in the Imam Ismail Mosque and the Shmemis Castle.

The Al-Marqab Castle, a Crusader fortress near Baniyas, in Northwest Syria, also suffered damage, including the collapse of a block from one of its circular towers. “The tremor also led to the fall of the rock cliff in the vicinity of the Qadous Castle and the collapse of some residential buildings situated in the castle’s campus,” DGAM said.

Experts are still studying the full extent of the damage to the historical sites and surrounding historical buildings and neighborhoods. DGAM says it has not received “accurate information” about damage in the city of Homs. 

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,701 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday. 

The total number of injured in Turkey and Syria climbed to 13,572 on Monday. 

The total death toll in Syria rose to 1,050. New agency SANA reports 570 deaths across government-controlled areas and the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 480 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.

The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651, according to Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay. There are now 9,733 people injured in Turkey, Oktay also said. 

At least 11,119 people have been injured in Turkey and 2,453 have been injured in Syria following the earthquake.

Ten units of the Russian army with a total of more than 300 soldiers are involved in clearing debris and helping in search and rescue operations in Syria following devastating earthquake and aftershocks in the country, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Monday.  

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu “instructed the commander of the Russian (forces) in Syria to provide assistance,” according to the statement. 

The ministry said that Russian soldiers are mainly assisting in the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia. 

The servicemen are clearing debris, searching for victims and providing them with medical assistance, the statement said. 

Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged assistance to Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake. 

Some background: Russia is the strongest foreign power operating in Syria, and Putin has long allied himself with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, throwing the full weight of the Russian military behind the Syrian Army. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning due to the earthquake.

Erdogan wrote in his tweet, “Due to the earthquakes that took place in our country on February 6, 2023, a national mourning period was declared for seven days. Our flag will fly at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, all over our country and within the foreign representations.”

In addition to US personnel on the ground, the US is “in the process of deploying additional teams, including two 79-person urban search and rescue teams to support Turkish search and rescue efforts,” National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said.

The United States Agency for International Development and the Pentagon are “now coordinating” with their Turkish counterparts on assistance.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the death toll climbed to 1,651 in southern Turkey after the devastating earthquake on Monday. 

Koca also said 11,199 people were injured across 10 provinces of Turkey.

Dr. Mazen Kewara, the Turkey director for the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), spoke to CNN from his car after he and his family took refuge in it and described the “horrible” earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

“I am talking with you from my car,” Kewara told CNN’s Becky Anderson. He said he’d been in his vehicle since 5 a.m. local time, more than 14 hours, with his family, including his kids. The earthquake was “something horrible,” he added. “This is our first time to experience such a thing. And the weather condition is very difficult.”

SAMS is an NGO that provides medical care to help Syrians on the frontlines of war or in this case natural disaster, and Kewara runs the operation that serves northwest Syria from its base in Gaziantep in southern Turkey.

Kewara, who is Syrian, also said that after 11 years serving Syrians, “This is our first time to see ourselves directly with the victims.” 

Kewara continued: “Previously we were responding to them and supporting them from our central office in Gaziantep. Today, we are victims like them. Directly we experience the same earthquake, horrible earthquake. But fortunately, we have vehicles. We can stay in our vehicles. But the people in northwest Syria, 4.5 million are IDPs (internally displaced persons) coming from different areas because of the 11-year war in Syria.”

He went on to say that because of the “very very poor infrastructure,” “everything is run by NGOs” in northwest Syria. 

Mazen also drew a clear distinction between Turkey’s capabilities in dealing with the earthquake, versus the situation in northwest Syria.  

He also said that SAMS alone had dealt with 180 earthquake deaths and 800 casualties. 

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,509 following a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in southern Turkey early Monday. 

The total number of injured in Turkey and Syria climbed to 12,136 on Monday. 

The total death toll in Syria rose to 968. Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported 538 across government-controlled areas and the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 430 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.

The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,541, according to Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay. There are now 9,733 people injured in Turkey, Oktay also said. 

Turkey has at least 9,733 and Syria has 2,403 injured people following the devastating earthquake.

At least 54 aftershocks measuring 4.3 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey, which is a scientific agency of the US government.

Three of the aftershocks have measured 6.0 or greater, including the massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck 95 kilometers (about 59 miles) north of the epicenter of the morning’s main quake. 

The aftershocks stretch for more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) along the fault zone that ruptured in southern Turkey, oriented from southwest to northeast and stretching from the border with Syria up through the province of Malatya.

A White Helmets volunteer working through the devastation in Syria says the organization does not have enough to handle this disaster.

“Our teams are working around the clock to help to save the injured people. But our capabilities, our powers are not enough to handle this disaster. This disaster is bigger than any organization in northwest Syria,” Ismail Alabdullah told CNN. “This disaster needs international efforts to handle.”

The winter is making the situation worse for people who already suffer under the lack of basic necessities, Alabdullah said.

“Most of them were displaced from other parts of Syria during the last 12 years of bombing and killing,” he said, adding that any help they receive will be spent on saving people “from under the rubble.”

Many Syrians have been displaced as many as 20 times, according to International Rescue Committee’s Mark Kaye, who spoke to CNN earlier Monday.

Before daylight, Alabdullah said the team on ground thought it could handle the impact, which it assumed would be limited to a few sites. However, when daylight revealed the large scale of devastation, he said, “we were shocked.”

“What do we need most right now is for us as rescue workers is heavy equipment that helps us in removing mountains of rubble,” he told CNN. “We need medical supplies for those who we saved from under the rubble. All of this is the urgent need for us.

Alabdullah said he hopes that countries “believe in human values and human rights” and send support to Syria. “We don’t want to see that people stay under the rubble for weeks or days. We need immediate response from everyone, so we can help and end this disaster … We don’t want to see [more] people dying more,” he added.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he spoke to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday and offered to provide “all further assistance necessary” following devastating earthquakes. 

“I just spoke to President @RTErdogan. On behalf of the Greek people, I extended my deepest condolences for the devastating loss of life and reiterated our readiness to provide all further assistance necessary,” the prime minister said in a tweet.  

More than 2,300 people have died and thousands more are hurt after a massive earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria Monday morning. The magnitude 7.8 quake was one of the strongest to strike the area in more than a century. Amid severe aftershocks, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) called for international help.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says it is “launching immediate cash assistance” from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund to help relief efforts in both countries.

Many other organizations are also on the ground responding. CNN’s Impact Your World has gathered ways to help victims of the massive earthquake.

You can read more about how you can help here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held separate calls with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad, on Monday and pledged Moscow’s assistance in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes, according to a Kremlin readout.

Putin expressed “deep condolences over the devastating earthquakes” to Erdogan and “reaffirmed his readiness to immediately provide the Turkish partners with the necessary assistance in eliminating the consequences of this natural disaster,” the readout said.

According to the Russian readout, Erdogan “warmly thanked” Putin and said that he was instructing the competent departments of the country to accept the help of Russian rescuers. 

In a conversation with Assad, Putin also conveyed his condolences and “offered to provide the Syrian side with the necessary assistance in eliminating the consequences of this disaster” which Assad accepted, according to the Kremlin.  

“Bashar al-Assad accepted this offer with gratitude, and in the next few hours, rescuers from the Russian Emergencies Ministry will fly to Syria,” the Kremlin readout went on to say. 

Some background: Russia is the strongest foreign power operating in Syria, and Putin has long allied himself with Assad, throwing the full weight of the Russian military behind the Syrian Army.

The region of northwest Syria, which was impacted by the deadly earthquake on Monday, has 4.1 million people who rely on humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday.

The majority of these people are women and children and along with the devastation from the earthquake, Syrian communities are battling an ongoing cholera outbreak amid a harsh winter with heavy rain and snow over the weekend, OCHA said in its statement.

“The UN and partners are monitoring the situation on the ground amidst information flow constraints due to chronic telecommunication disruptions and power shortages. Infrastructural damages are difficult to assess at this time and roads have been reportedly blocked in both Türkiye and north-west Syria,” OCHA added.

At least 820 people are reported dead in Syria following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports 430 deaths across government-controlled areas and the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 390 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.

Here are some visuals from the ground:

A CNN producer said that the aftershocks of Monday’s powerful earthquake in Turkey were “like Armageddon.”

When the tremors began, Kourdi said his parents screamed and that he did his best to calm them down, assuring them it would be over soon. 

The situation was “even more catastrophic” in the neighboring town of Pazarcik, where Kourdi visited, adding that as he was leaving he witnessed people running out of dozens of cars during a major aftershock, which measured 7.5 in magnitude.

While returning to Gaziantep, Kourdi reported seeing five kilometers (more than three miles) of traffic as people queued to evacuate the city.

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,361 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,541, according to Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay. There are now 9,733 people injured in Turkey, Oktay also said. 

The total death toll in Syria is 820. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports 430 deaths across government-controlled areas and the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 390 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.

Spain and France each announced Monday they will send rescue workers to Turkey to assist in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.

A total of 139 French civil security rescue workers will fly to Turkey on Monday evening to assist with search and rescue efforts, France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. 

In a tweet, Darmanin said the response came “at the request of the president of the republic,” and is “part of the European solidarity mechanism.” 

“France stands in full solidarity with Turkey in these terrible circumstances,” the minister added.

Spain will send a group of 85 specialists to Turkey on Monday to support search and rescue operations, the country’s interior ministry said in a statement.  

One team, with 50 members from the defense ministry’s military emergencies unit, will leave from the Moron air force base in southern Spain, according to the ministry. A second team, with 35 members from the Madrid regional government’s emergency response unit, will leave on a flight from the Torrejon air force base near Madrid.  

The European Union mechanism for civil protection has confirmed Turkey’s acceptance of this aid from Spain, the ministry added.  

An Israeli security source told CNN that Syria asked Russia to convey a request for earthquake aid to Israel, but a Syrian source denied this claim.

A request of that kind would be extraordinary: Israel and Syria are formally at war and have no diplomatic relations. An Israeli diplomatic source said he was not aware of any previous request for aid from a country it was formally at war with. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced earlier on Monday that he had approved a request from “a diplomatic element” for aid to Syria, and that he assumed it would be acted on “in the near future.” 

An unnamed Syrian official source then categorically denied there had been such a request, telling a pro-government media outlet Al-Watan, “It is disgraceful that Netanyahu exploits the catastrophe of the earthquake that struck Syria to mislead public opinion and cover up the expansionist and aggressive policies of the occupation.”

Israel regularly sends search and rescue teams around the world in the wake of disasters. Israel formally offered aid to Lebanon in the wake of the devastating Beirut port explosion of 2020, but Lebanon – also officially at war with Israel – did not accept.

US President Joe Biden has “authorized an immediate U.S. response” in the aftermath of a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria overnight. 

“Jill and I were deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes that have thus far claimed thousands of lives in Turkiye and Syria. My Administration has been working closely with our NATO Ally Turkiye, and I authorized an immediate U.S. response,” Biden said in a statement Monday morning as CNN is learning that more than 2,000 people have been killed and rescue and recovery efforts continue.

Senior US officials, he said, are coordinating their Turkish counterparts on assistance needs.

He added that “U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are also responding to the destruction in Syria.”

The President expressed condolences to those impacted by the earthquake.

Qatar and Kuwait will set up an air bridge for the flow of humanitarian aid into Turkey.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Qatar’s International Search and Rescue Group (QSART) will fly to Turkey through the air bridge as soon as Monday, carrying with them specialized rescue and search vehicles, and relief aid, tents and winter supplies to set up field hospitals upon arrival, Qatar News Agency (QNA) said. 

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also ordered the establishment of the air bridge to send “urgent aid and medical staff,” Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said in a statement.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has led to a “catastrophic situation” in Syria, an official of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) told CNN.

“What we are seeing inside Syria really is a catastrophic situation,” said Mark Kaye, IRC’s policy, advocacy and communications director for Middle East and North Africa.

The earthquake has made the situation worse for the already vulnerable and displaced populations in Syria, specifically the rural areas, Kaye said.

“For this area, you have to remember: This population [was] already highly vulnerable. They have a huge amount of people who have already been displaced — sometimes as many as 20 times … Almost the majority of them are women and children, particularly vulnerable to the harsh weather and this earthquake,” Kaye said.

Displaced people living in makeshift camps are facing freezing winds and the camps are not equipped to withstand an earthquake of this intensity, he added.

“So today you will be seeing a lot of people being pulled out from the rubble. I think what we are really concerned about as well is those who have survived … whether the health system is going to be able to really come to grip with that and not be completely overburdened,” Kaye told CNN.

Power cuts and a lack of communication across northern Syria have made search operations difficult, particularly in rural areas where the infrastructure is not built to withstand such a powerful earthquake, he explained.

He commended countries’ offers to send help to Turkey but said those commitments should translate to Syria as well, expressing concern that the “search and rescue operation really isn’t fit” for addressing the large numbers of people that may be affected.

The UN is ready to support emergency response efforts following the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted on Monday.

Rescuers are now searching for survivors after the powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the region, leaving more than 2,000 people dead and thousands more injured.

More than a dozen provinces in eastern Turkey are under yellow and orange weather warnings through Tuesday, which are Level 1 and 2 out of 3, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Services website.

These weather warnings have been issued due to snowy and windy conditions including the provinces of Osmaniye, Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, and Malatya, which have been experiencing several aftershocks over the last 12 hours.

Gaziantep, where the original 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred, is not included under any weather warnings, however, scattered rain showers and potential snow flurries are possible through Tuesday morning local time.

Temperatures are currently running around 5 to 8 degrees Celsius below average across the region. Low temperatures near the main earthquake’s epicenter are forecast to drop over the next couple of days. By Tuesday morning, temperatures will hover around the freezing mark but by Wednesday and Thursday morning temperatures will be several degrees below zero.

While Turkey and Syria are reeling from the aftermath of the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the impact was felt as far as Lebanon and Israel.

Take a look:

At least 1,498 people have died and 8,533 people were injured in Turkey after the devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, according to Yunus Sezer, the head of Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

There are 15,000 rescue personnel working in the region, and due to the bad weather, they are using helicopters and planes to reach the earthquake locations, Sezer said.

At least 2,834 buildings were damaged, and authorities are working on providing shelter for the citizens for the night, the official added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “deep sadness at the tragic loss of life and destruction” in Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake. 

“We extend our condolences to the families of those affected and are assessing our comprehensive response options. I have directed my team to remain in close contact with our Turkish allies and our humanitarian partners in the coming days to determine what the region needs,” Blinken said in a statement Monday.

He noted that an “initial response” from the US is already underway, and committed to providing assistance “in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”

At least 120 aftershocks have occurred following Monday’s powerful earthquake in southern Turkey, according to an update from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

Remember: All aftershocks are individual earthquakes. But as long as they are not stronger than the original, main quake, they are considered aftershocks.

Separately, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which only reports the more significant aftershocks that are actually felt by those in the earthquake zone, reported at least 43 aftershocks of 4.3 or greater magnitude.

Three of the aftershocks measured 6.0 or greater, including the massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck 95 kilometers (59 miles) north of the epicenter of the morning’s main quake, according to USGS.

The aftershocks stretch for more than 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) along the fault zone that ruptured in southern Turkey — oriented from southwest to northeast and stretching from the border with Syria up through the province of Malatya.

Turkey has sent a formal request to NATO and allies for assistance in dealing with the aftermath of Monday’s earthquake.

The country has requested medical assistance and equipment, various urban search and rescue units as well as “extreme weather-proof fully equipped field hospitals with technical personnel for assembly.”

The response is being coordinated by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, which is based at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,318 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

The total death toll in Turkey is 1,498, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD). 

The total death toll in Syria is 820. SANA reports 430 across government-controlled areas and the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 390 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.

The Yeni mosque in Malatya, Turkey, was destroyed by the powerful earthquake.

Take a look at the site before and after the earthquake:

European soccer’s governing body, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), sent well wishes to “all those affected by this morning’s devastating earthquake” in Turkey, the sports association said in a post on social media Thursday. 

“The thoughts of UEFA and the European football community are with the people of Türkiye and Syria, and all those affected by this morning’s devastating earthquake,” UEFA said on Twitter. 

Meanwhile, European champions Real Madrid also expressed their “solidarity for the catastrophe now suffered in Turkey and Syria as the result of the earthquake which took place in the last few hours. Our club wants to express its condolences and affection for the family members of the victims. Likewise, we wish for the quick recovery of the injured.”

German giants Bayern Munich too sent a message of condolence Thursday saying, “FC Bayern München is sending out prayers to the earthquake victims and their loved ones,” while the French club Paris Saint-Germain said: “Following the severe earthquake that occurred overnight in Kahramanmaras that has caused a number of deaths, Paris Saint-Germain would like to show its support for the people of Turkey, as well as all the players, coaches and staff in the Red-and-Blue family and their loved ones.”

Iconic English soccer club Liverpool also posted on social media saying: “Our thoughts are with all those who are affected by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria,” and reigning Serie A champs AC Milan said the Italian club “offers its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the earthquakes that have struck Turkey and Syria. The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with you.” 

All schools nationwide in Turkey will be closed for a week due to the recent earthquakes, Turkish education Minister Mahmut Özer announced Monday.

More than 1,800 people have been killed and thousands more injured after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria early Monday. 

Austria will deploy 84 soldiers from its Disaster Relief Unit to Turkey to support rescue operations in the region as of Tuesday, according to a government news release. 

The country will also pledge three million euros ($3.2 million) to support aid organizations in their work on the ground.

Due to the scale and impact of Monday’s earthquake, Austria will “provide rapid humanitarian aid,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in the news release. 

“The terrible pictures that have reached us today from Turkey and Syria after the earthquakes show drastic damage and a large number of victims. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with the victims and their families,“ Nehammer added. 

According to current plans, the disaster relief mission of the Austrian Armed Forces is scheduled to last for about 10 days. Three rescue and recovery groups consisting of medical, logistics and hygiene experts can be deployed to two separate search locations, the government said. 

“We are standing with the people in Turkey and Syria in this difficult situation,” the Austrian chancellor said.

More than 1,800 people have died in Turkey and Syria, and thousands more injured, after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey.

Rescue workers were seen pulling out a toddler and a man from rubble at a site.

Watch video of the rescues as CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh reports from Istanbul:

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01:54 - Source: cnn

The death toll has risen to 1,121 in Turkey following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

A total of 1,121 people have died, 7,634 were injured and 2,834 buildings were damaged in Turkey, said Orhan Tatar, AFAD’s general director.

The total death toll in Syria stands at more than 800.

The UK is sending 76 search and rescue specialists to Turkey following the powerful earthquake that hit the country early Monday morning, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Monday. 

Cleverly said in a statement that the UK is sending “immediate support” to Turkey, “including a team of 76 search & rescue specialists, equipment and rescue dogs.”

“In Syria, the UK-funded White Helmets have mobilised their resources to respond,” he added, pledging to provide further support if needed.

According to the statement, a flight is expected to depart the UK at 4 p.m. local (11 a.m. ET) for Gaziantep.

“The Government is in contact with British humanitarian workers in the affected areas, and we stand ready to provide support to any British nationals affected,” the statement added.

Pakistan is sending rescue and relief teams as well as goods to Turkey, expected to arrive “very soon,” the Pakistan Embassy in Turkey tweeted on Monday.

“Two C-130 planes are ready to leave for Turkiye, 1 with relief goods and the other one with 36 personnel for the search and rescue operation,” Pakistan’s Information Ministry said in a statement, adding, “They might leave tonight or tomorrow morning.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a team consisting of doctors, paramedics and rescue workers are being sent to Turkey to help with rescue and relief efforts, and that a plane carrying medicines and other essential relief goods will be dispatched soon.

Israel is sending humanitarian aid to Syria — a country it is formally at war with — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, following the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey near the Syrian border. 

Israel had received the aid request “from a diplomatic element,” without specifying who the diplomats were, Netanyahu said.

Israel and Syria have no formal relations. 

The Israeli leader said he had approved the request and assumed it would be acted on “in the near future.” 

Israel is also responding to a request for assistance from the Turkish government by sending two rescue and medical aid missions on Monday, he added. 

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 1,824 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

The total death toll in Syria is 810. A total of at least 430 people have died in government-controlled areas, mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA, which also reported 1,284 injuries.

Meanwhile, the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 380 deaths and 1,000 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), at least 1,014 people have died and 7,003 people were injured following the earthquake in Turkey.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu offered help to his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in a phone call Monday, after a deadly earthquake struck Turkey and Syria earlier Monday.

Shoigu “offered to provide all necessary assistance through the military department to the Turkish colleague in the aftermath of the earthquake, including medical assistance to the victims,” according to the readout of the call published by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

He also expressed his condolences to Akar for the numerous casualties and destruction, the readout added.

Akar thanked the Russian defense minister for the offered assistance, “promising to prepare specific proposals in the near future,” the readout went on to say.

Earlier Monday, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, suggested Russian rescuers have technologies of determining the viability of buildings after earthquakes that could be useful, and said Moscow is “waiting for the signals” from the Turkish side.

“We have expressed readiness [to provide assistance] at the highest political level, we are waiting for signals from Turkish friends,” Peskov told reporters.

China expressed its condolences and concern for the loss of life and property damages following a devastating earthquake that struck the southern part of Turkey on Monday, the spokesperson for China’s International Development Cooperation Agency Xu Wei said. 

The spokesperson said that China is in touch with Turkish and Syrian authorities and that the government is willing to provide emergency humanitarian aid based on the needs of victims.

The death toll has risen to 1,014 in Turkey following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD). 

Here are the death tolls by area, as provided by the AFAD in a statement:

Kahramanmaraş: 191

Gaziantep: 200

Şanlıurfa: 27

Diyarbakır: 41

Adana: 43

Adıyaman: 20

Osmaniye: 131

Hatay: 250

Kilis: 13

Malatya: 98

These numbers are according to the “first information received from SAKOM (Emergency and Crisis Coordination center of Turkish Ministry),” AFAD said.

Arab leaders expressed condolences to the people of Turkey and Syria after a devastating earthquake ripped through their countries, leaving widespread destruction and hundreds of deaths.

The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani spoke to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Monday to express his condolences to the Turkish people and expressed his support “in mitigating the serious humanitarian repercussions left by the earthquake, wishing a speedy recovery,” Qatar News Agency (QNA) said in a statement. 

The President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum both sent their condolences to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Turkish President Erdoğan, Emirates news agency WAM said on Monday.

Jordan’s King Abdullah bin Al Hussein offered his condolences to the people of Syria and Turkey who have been affected by the earthquake and directed the provision of aid to the families of the victims and the injured in the two countries.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs put out a statement expressing “sincere condolences and solidarity with both Turkey and Syria and the victims of the devastating earthquake.”

The Czech Republic is sending a 68-person specialized search and rescue team to Turkey following a request for help from the Turkish side, the Fire Rescue services of the Czech Republic said Monday. 

An official from the fire service said the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team specializes in earthquake search and rescue, and is fully equipped and trained for operations that include finding and pulling people out of rubble. The teams include search and rescue dog units and medical personnel. 

The team comprises experts from two separate squads. One team will fly from Ostrava on Monday afternoon and the second team will fly from Prague in early evening.

The World Health Organization has activated its network of emergency medical teams in Turkey and Syria to assist those affected by the earthquake, the WHO’s director-general tweeted.

The teams will provide “essential health care for the injured and most vulnerable affected by the earthquake”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

The earthquake knocked out power and internet connectivity in southern Turkey which may impact “the public’s ability to seek assistance,” according to global internet monitor NetBlocks.

More than 1,500 people have been killed and thousands more injured across Turkey and Syria, after one of the most powerful earthquakes in decades ripped through the region early Monday.

Members of the international community, including NATO and the EU, have offered help to the Turkish government following the disaster, as rescue teams are scrambling to find survivors in the rubble of fallen buildings.

Here are the latest developments:

Dr. Mazen Kewara, Turkey director of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), spoke live on CNN from near the earthquake’s epicenter in Gaziantep, where he and his family were taking shelter in their car.

Kewara said that their car was the safest place for them to be at present.

“We cannot use the buildings anymore. Maybe for hours. Maybe until tomorrow. I don’t know.”

Turkey continues to be struck by aftershocks – some nearly as strong as the initial earthquake – meaning it is not safe to be inside.

“Next to my building, about 200-300 meters away, there’s a collapsed building. There are many buildings that have collapsed in Gaziantep,” said Kewara.

SAMS is a medical relief organization, working in Syria and neighboring countries. But their efforts to provide support will be hampered by the damage to buildings.

“We have four of our hospitals damaged severely by the earthquake. We have evacuated two of them,” said Kewara, who is originally from Damascus, Syria.

The ongoing aftershocks will make it “very, very, very challenging for us as a humanitarian organization to be able to respond” to those in need.

For now, Kewara and five others remain sheltered in his car, waiting for the tremors to stop.

Responding to reports of a 7.5 magnitude aftershock following the first quake in southern Turkey this morning, CNN’s meteorologist and severe weather expert Chad Myers explained why the aftershocks have been so severe.

The 7.5 aftershock was “an earthquake in itself,” Myers told CNN’s This Morning. “It would have been the strongest earthquake since 1999 in the region.”

Two massive tectonic plates – the Arabian and the Eurasian – meet underneath Turkey’s southeastern provinces. Along this fault line, “about 100 miles from one side to the other, the earth slipped,” said Myers. 

Seismologists refer to this event as a “strike slip” – “where the plates are touching, and all of a sudden they slide sideways,” said Myers.

This is unlike the Ring of Fire, which runs along the west coast of the United States. In this zone, earthquakes and tsunamis are often caused by subduction – where one plate slides below another.

But in a “strike slip,” the plates move horizontally, rather than vertically.

“Why that matters is because the buildings don’t want to go back and forth. And then the secondary waves begin to go back and forth as well,” said Myers.

Because of the nature of this seismic event, aftershocks could last “for weeks and months,” according to CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis.

The Netherlands will fly 15 metric tons (16.5 imperial tons) of search and rescue equipment to Turkey Monday, following the deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake there.

“It is expected that at the end of the afternoon, a cargo plane with 15 tons of heavy rescue equipment and other supplies will depart for Turkey from Eindhoven,” the Urban Search and Rescue Team said on its website.

The departure time for 65 rescue workers and eight search dogs is still unknown, the organization said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said earlier that the search and rescue team will include “police and military personnel, first aid responders, and firefighters.”

“Shocked by the news of the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the many injured Turks and Syrians,” Hoekstra added.

A powerful earthquake rocked Turkey early Monday, killing more than 1,500 people and injuring thousands more across the country and neighboring Syria.

Photos showing the true scale of the disaster emerged as the day broke. Entire city blocks were flattened by the quake, metal rods were strewn across the streets and vehicles toppled over. Rescuers are still working to free people trapped under the rubble.

German technical aid agency THW is preparing to deploy aid to the region affected by Monday’s deadly earthquake, which has killed at least 1,500 people and injured thousands more in Turkey and Syria.

THW will deliver tents, blankets and emergency power generators, according to government spokesman Maximilian Kall.

After speaking with Turkish Ambassador to Berlin Ahmet Başar Şen, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser vowed to send all the help needed, Kall said. Turkey has asked for a European Civil Protection Team to be deployed, he added.

Meanwhile, NATO and the EU have offered to send help following the disaster, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

At least 1,504 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria, and thousands more injured, after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

In Syria, a total of at least 592 people have died, including 371 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to Syrian state news agency SANA, which also reported 1,089 injuries.

Meanwhile, the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 221 deaths and 419 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

“Hundreds remain trapped under rubble,” the White Helmets added on Twitter.

In Turkey, at least 912 people have died and 5,385 people were injured, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a televised address Monday.

Rescuers are working through the rubble of collapsed buildings to locate survivors, while NATO, the EU and 45 countries have offered assistance following the disaster.

A major aftershock measuring 7.5 in magnitude struck Turkey at 1:24 p.m. local time (5:24 a.m. ET), after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the region early Monday.

The aftershock is located approximately 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of the original quake that struck a little over nine hours earlier in southern Turkey, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

This is the largest of the more than 30 aftershocks to strike so far. This is a preliminary estimate on the earthquake magnitude and is subject to change.

The 7.5 magnitude earthquake is considered an aftershock of the earlier 7.8 magnitude quake. All aftershocks are individual earthquakes, but as long as they are not stronger that the original, main quake, they are considered aftershocks.

This aftershock was extremely shallow, only 10 km deep, which worsens the shaking felt. The main quake was 17.9 km deep.

Before this morning’s 7.8, the 7.5 magnitude earthquake would have been the most powerful to strike Turkey since the 1999 Izmit quake that killed at least 17,000 people.

More than 1,500 people have died across Turkey and Syria following Monday’s quake, with thousands more injured in both countries.

At least 1,388 people have died across Turkey and Syria, after a huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake swept across southern Turkey early Monday, injuring thousands more people in both countries.

In Syria, at least 476 people have died, including 326 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to Syrian state news agency, which also reported at least 1,042 injuries. Out of those who lost their lives, at least 139 were in Latakia, its governor told Syrian state TV.

Meanwhile, the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 150 deaths and 350 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

In Turkey, at least 912 people have died and 5,385 people were injured, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a televised address Monday.

A CNN eyewitness said aftershocks were still being felt hours after the earthquake. Photos have also emerged showing the disastrous aftermath of the quake, with entire buildings collapsed and cars toppled over.

Rescuers are working through the debris of fallen infrastructure to search for survivors, while the port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey and some airport runways have been damaged.

Earthquakes are measured using seismographs, which monitor the seismic waves that travel through the Earth after a quake.

Scientists used the Richter Scale for many years but now largely follow the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, which the US Geological Survey says is a more accurate measure of size.

The Richter scale measures magnitude, whereas the MMI scale measures intensity.

Here are the magnitude classes, according to the California Earthquake Authority:

Magnitude and intensity conceptualize earthquakes differently. The California Institute of Technology explains:

A humanitarian organization in Syria has made a plea for urgent assistance from the international community.

Speaking on CNN’s This Morning show, Rahaf Aboud, head of communications at the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, called for “the support of the European Union, the United Nations, and the international community in response to the devastating earthquake that took place in Syria.”

Aboud requested that these organizations “provide the necessary resources and support, including shelter, food, medical care, and other essential supplies.”

“We hope that the UN will respond to this call for support to alleviate the suffering of those who have been impacted by this earthquake through cross-line intervention,” Aboud said, speaking live from Damascus, Syria.

This morning, volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are at affected sites in Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia, responding to people trapped in the buildings that collapsed as a result of the earthquake.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, displaced by the war in their home country, are settled in the regions of Turkey that have been worst hit by this morning’s earthquake.

Turkey shelters more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, according to data from Human Rights Watch. 

Many of these refugees settled along the Turkish-Syrian border. The Hatay, Gaziantep and Sanliurfa provinces are each home to more than 300,000 Syrians, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Other neighboring provinces also shelter hundreds of thousands more refugees, who have fled their home country since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

The Turkish government has received offers of assistance from the the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union and 45 countries following the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the news in a televised address Monday, adding that at least 912 people have died in the country following the 7.8 magnitude quake.

Another 5,385 people have been injured and more than 2,400 people rescued from under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The Turkish leader said there has been “heavy destruction” in cities, with around 2,818 buildings destroyed. 

“We hope that we will overcome this disaster together as soon as possible,” Erdogan added. 

In neighboring Syria, at least 386 people have died, including 239 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported earlier. The “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 147 deaths in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria. Hundreds more have been reported injured in Syria.

CNN’s Kareem El Damanhoury contributed reporting.

More than 1,200 people have died in Turkey and Syria after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey early Monday, injuring thousands more across both countries.

At least 912 people have died in Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a televised address Monday. 

In Syria, at least 386 people have died, including 239 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported earlier. The “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 147 deaths in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

Hundreds more people were also injured following the earthquake, with 648 wounded in Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported. Another 340 injuries were also reported in opposition-controlled areas, White Helmets added. 

Rescue teams in Turkey rescued over 2,400 people from under the rubble of buildings flattened by the quake, Erdogan said.

In Turkey, around 9,000 personnel are working at the moment on search and rescue efforts with more people joining, the Turkish leader added. It is unknown how many more people are under the debris.

The Turkish government’s coordination center is in the capital Ankara and is being run by Vice President Fuat Oktay, Erdogan said.

CNN’s Kareem El Damanhoury contributed reporting.

Soccer teams in Turkey united to send messages of solidarity in the wake of Monday’s deadly earthquake.

Istanbul giants Galatasaray wished a “quick recovery to the injured.”

“May God show mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaras and felt in the nearby cities. Our condolences to the families and to our nation and we wish quick recovery to the injured,” the club tweeted Monday.

Local city rivals Fenerbahce also took to social media to “wish God’s mercy on our citizens who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to our injured citizens in Kahramanmaras.”

Another Istanbul-based team, Besiktas, sent their “best wishes” to “citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake felt in many cities, especially to Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakir, Malatya and Sanliurfa.”

Besiktas also called on people to donate blood to help those impacted by the earthquake

The port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey was damaged after the fatal 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country early Monday, shaking buildings and toppling over vehicles.

Some parts of the port’s dock collapsed, Turkey’s directorate of maritime said on Twitter.

Other ports in the country have not been damaged, the directorate added.

Elsewhere, cracks formed on the runways of some airports in the earthquake zone, according to Turkey defense ministry.

Monday’s quake is believed to be the strongest to hit Turkey since 1939, and has killed at least 670 people across Turkey and nearby Syria. Photos of the devastating disaster showed flattened infrastructure and metal rods strewn across the streets, as workers tried to clear the debris.

The epicenter of the earthquake was Kahramanmaraş in Turkey and 10 provinces were affected in total.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said search and rescue teams are still needed in the affected areas. Military planes are working on sending teams to the affected zones and an air corridor has been established.

A chorus of global leaders have sent messages of solidarity after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake ripped through Turkey early Monday, killing at least 670 people across Turkey and neighboring Syria.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is in “full solidarity” with Turkey.

“Full solidarity with our Ally #Türkiye in the aftermath of this terrible earthquake. I am in touch with President @RTErdogan and Foreign Minister @MevlutCavusoglu, and #NATO Allies are mobilizing support now,” he said in a tweet Monday.

European Union top diplomat Josep Borrell said the bloc is “ready to help,” after Monday’s quake.

“Devastating earthquake rocked Türkiye and Syria this morning, claiming the lives of hundreds of people and injuring many more. Our thoughts are with the people of Türkiye and Syria. The EU is ready to help,” Borrell said.

The President of the European Council Charles Michel sent his “deepest condolences” to the victims of the disaster.

“Deeply saddened to hear this morning about the devastating earthquake hitting parts of Türkiye and Syria. My deepest condolences to the many families that lost lives and wishing a fast recovery of the injured. The EU stands in full solidarity with you,” he tweeted Monday.

The President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen said support from Europe “is already on the way.”

“We stand in full solidarity with the people of Türkiye and Syria after the deadly earthquake that hit this morning. We mourn with the families of the victims. Europe’s support is already on the way and we stand ready to continue helping in any way we can,” she said in a tweet Monday.

At least 670 people have been reported dead in Turkey and Syria after Monday’s huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

In Syria, at least 386 people have died, including 239 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported. 

The “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 147 deaths in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

Hundreds more people were also injured following the earthquake, with 648 wounded in Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported. Another 340 injuries were also reported in opposition-controlled areas, White Helmets added. 

In Turkey, at least 284 people have died and more than 2,323 people have been injured, Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said earlier. 

Azerbaijan will send a search and rescue team of 370 people and aid material to Turkey following the powerful earthquake that struck the south of the country on Monday morning, Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu reported. 

A plane carrying aid, including tents and medical supplies, will depart for Turkey “in a short time,” Anadolu said. 

The Netherlands earlier said it will send a search and rescue team to Turkey after the country’s disaster agency asked the international community for help.

Germany is ready to provide assistance to Turkey and Syria after a powerful earthquake rocked the region early Monday, its foreign minister said.

“My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in these terrible #earthquakes and those who still fear for their relatives, friends or neighbors,” Annalena Baerbock wrote on Twitter. “Together with our partners, we stand ready to provide assistance.”

Global support: Leaders from the US, Israel, India, Pakistan and Ukraine are among countries to offer condolences and pledge support following the disaster. The Netherlands said it will send a search and rescue team to Turkey after the country’s disaster agency asked the international community for help.

More than 500 people have been killed and some 3,000 others injured in Turkey and Syria after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkey early Monday.

Rescuers are now frantically searching for survivors after the powerful quake shook the region, causing multiple aftershocks and sending tremors as far away as Lebanon and Israel.

Here’s what you need to know:

Turkey’s centuries-old Gaziantep Castle has been heavily damaged after a powerful earthquake and aftershocks rocked the country’s south on Monday morning. 

“Some of the bastions in the east, south and southeast parts of the historical Gaziantep Castle in the central Şahinbey district were destroyed by the earthquake, the debris was scattered on the road,” Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu reported. 
“The iron railings around the castle were scattered on the surrounding sidewalks. The retaining wall next to the castle also collapsed. In some bastions, large cracks were observed.” 

The dome and eastern wall of the historical Şirvani Mosque, which is located next to the castle and is said to have been built in the 17th century, also partially collapsed, it added. 

According to archaeological excavations, the castle was first built as a watchtower in the Roman period in II-IV centuries A.D and expanded over time.

It took its current form in between 527-565 A.D. during the period of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, according to Turkish Museums, the official site of museums and archaeological sites in the country. 

CORRECTION: This post has been updated after an earlier version misidentified Gaziantep Castle’s heritage status.

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkey early Monday could reach as high as 10,000 people, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

According to its estimates, USGS said there is a 47% chance of it reaching between 1,000 to 10,000 people, whereas there is a 27% chance of it reaching between 100 and 1,000 and a 20% chance of it reaching between 10,000 and 100,000. 

The USGS estimates come from modeling based on historical earthquakes in the region, the population exposed to the heaviest shaking, and the vulnerability of the structures in the hardest hit zones.

“High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS said in the report.
“The population in this region resides in structures that are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist.”

The report also estimates economic losses will likely be between $1 billion to $10 billion, which could reach up to 2% of Turkey’s GDP.

So far, more than 500 people have been confirmed dead and some 3,000 others injured in Turkey and Syria, according to officials and state media.

With a cold and wet weather system moving through the region, poor conditions are likely to impact the post-earthquake rescue and recovery efforts in southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, according to CNN meteorologists.

Temperatures just above the freezing mark are occurring in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, with rain and snow showers forecast on both Monday and Tuesday.

Even though early February falls within the coldest part of the year, the current temperatures are even colder than average, running about 5 degrees Celsius (about 9 degrees Fahrenheit) below seasonal norms.

And the weather is about to get colder: Temperatures will drop below freezing by Tuesday, with the low in Gaziantep falling to -6 degrees Celsius (21 degrees Fahrenheit).

Snow showers will become more widespread later on Monday and lasting through Tuesday. The snow will be heaviest in the higher elevations, but could fall all the way down to the border with Syria.

Despite the conditions, officials have asked residents to leave their buildings their safety, as additional aftershocks are expected following Monday’s 7.8 quake.

However, “that’s a pretty difficult ask considering that the weather at the time is right around freezing,” CNN’s Scott McLean reports. “It’s very difficult to be outside in your pajamas for long periods of time without coats, without supplies.”

The Netherlands will send a search and rescue team to Turkey to assist in the response to the earthquake that has left hundreds dead, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said on Monday.

“This team includes police and military personnel, first aid responders, and firefighters,” Hoekstra said on Twitter. “Shocked by the news of the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the many injured Turks and Syrians.”

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) earlier called on the international community for help with search and rescue efforts.

Messages of condolences and support poured in Monday as world leaders woke to the news of the deadly earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.

More than 500 people have been killed in two countries after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

At least 284 people have died and more than 2,300 were injured in Turkey, according to the country’s Vice President Fuat Oktay. 

In Syria, at least 237 people were killed and 639 injured, Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported, citing a Health Ministry official. 

The total death toll across Turkey and Syria is now at least 521. 

The quake is one of the strongest to hit Turkey in more than 100 years and sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets.

More than 1,700 buildings were damaged across 10 Turkish cities, the Turkish vice president said. 

The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said its hospitals in Syria “are overwhelmed with patients filling the hallways” following the powerful earthquake that struck Monday. 

“There is an immediate need for trauma supplies and a comprehensive emergency response,” the relief organization said in a statement. 
“Many hospitals are full, but some critical facilities, including Al Dana Hospital had to evacuate patients after sustaining severe damage from the earthquake. Likewise, the Idleb Maternity Hospital was forced to transfer all newborns to a nearby hospital.”

SAMS’ president Dr. Amjad Rass said the organization has been receiving victims and working to guarantee the wellbeing of more than 1,700 staff in Syria and 90 in Gaziantep, Turkey.

The death toll across Turkey and Syria stands at more than 300, with nearly 2,000 reported injured after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkey.

Aleast 18 aftershocks with a magnitude over 4 have been recorded after a powerful earthquake struck southern Turkey early Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

USGS said it recorded seven quakes with a magnitude above 5.

The strongest aftershock so far was recorded only 11 minutes after the first quake and had a magnitude of 6.7, USGS said.  

Experts say strong aftershocks are likely to continue in the hours and even days to come after an earthquake as strong as the one Turkey experienced Monday morning.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Galant said the country is preparing to provide emergency aid to Turkey after it experienced one of the most powerful earthquakes in more than 100 years.

“The security forces are ready to offer whatever assistance is required. The security system has gained a lot of experience over the years in dealing with disaster areas and in the mission of saving lives,” Galant said in a statement.

In another statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen expressed “deep sorrow” to the Turkish people. 

“On behalf of the State of Israel, I would like to express deep sorrow to the Turkish people for the severe earthquake that struck southern Turkey tonight,” Cohen said.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and we wish the injured a speedy recovery. I instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lead a rapid aid program for Turkey to deal with the severe disaster.”

There have been no reports of injuries or damage so far in Israel, though shaking from the 7.8 magnitude quake could be felt in the country.

At least 237 people have died and 639 others were injured after a powerful earthquake hit southern Turkey early Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a Ministry of Health official. 

The official death toll across Turkey and Syria now stands at more than 300, with nearly 2,000 injured.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense said in a statement it is “mobilizing all its units, formations and institutions in all governorates to provide immediate aid and urgent assistance to the residents affected by the earthquake, search for people trapped under the rubble, and to treat the injured.”

Shaking from the quake, one of the most powerful to hit the region in more than 100 years, could be felt up as far away as Israel.

Shaking from the deadly powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkey could be felt up as far away as Israel.

People in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv reported feeling the shaking early Monday morning and Israeli police said they had received more than 3,000 such reports.

There have been no reports of injuries or damage so far in Israel. 

Nearly 200 people have been killed and about 1,000 others injured in Turkey and Syria after the 7.8 magnitude quake struck, sending tremors across the region.

CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said earlier that shaking from the quake could be felt up to 300 kilometers away (186 miles) from the epicenter.

Journalist Eyad Kourdi, who lives in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep and was staying with his parents when the earthquake struck early Monday, said “it felt like it would never be over.”

When the shaking stopped, Kourdi and his parents walked out of their home still wearing their pajamas, he said.

With several inches of snow on the ground, they waited outside in the rain for about 30 minutes before he could go back inside to grab coats and boots.

Harsh weather: A winter storm in the region is exacerbating the disaster, according to CNN meteorologists.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by this. It is cold. It is rainy. Roads could be impacted, that means your food, your livelihood, the care for your children, the care for your family,” CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis said. 
“Anything as far as crops or anything growing across this region will be impacted as well. The ramifications of this are broad and will impact this region for weeks, and months.”

The White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, on Monday declared the northwest of the country as a “disaster area” following the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit neighboring Turkey, sending tremors across the region.

The group said hundreds of people have been injured and trapped under rubble and dozens have died, but didn’t specify exact numbers.

“We call on all local authorities and civil forces to mobilize their cadres, and we recommend all humanitarian, health and relief organizations operating in Syria to share work according to the system of parity and their geographical distribution in order to ensure that the necessary needs are covered as much as possible,” the White Helmets said in a statement. 

Much of northwestern Syria, which borders Turkey, is controlled by anti-government forces amid a bloody civil war that began in 2011.

According to Syrian State TV, citing the Ministry of Health, the earthquake Monday has killed at least 111 people and injured 516 others in the Syrian regions of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus.

At least 111 people have died and 516 others were injured in Syria after a strong earthquake hit neighboring southern Turkey early Monday, Syrian State TV reported, citing the Ministry of Health.

The deaths were reported in the regions of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus. 

The 7.8 magnitude quake is one of the strongest to hit Turkey in more than 100 years and sent tremors across the region that caused buildings to collapse.

Nearly 1,000 search and rescue volunteers have been deployed from Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, to the south of the country following the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck early Monday.

“80 AFAD (emergency disaster agency) officers, 27 accredited municipalities and NGOs, 968 Search and Rescue volunteers, 4 K9 dogs, 2 trucks and aid materials have been sent to the area impacted by earthquake,” Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya wrote on Twitter.  
“Sorry for our loss. I wish our injured a speedy recovery.”

At least 118 people were killed in Turkey and Syria after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets.

Turkey’s disaster agency has appealed for help from the international community as it conducts search and rescue operations.

At least 118 people were killed in two countries after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets.

At least 76 people died and more than 440 were injured in Turkey, according to the country’s disaster management agency. In neighboring Syria, at least 42 people died and around 200 more were injured, Syrian state run-news agency SANA reported, citing a Health Ministry official.

In Syria, the deaths were reported in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA said.

The “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also said there were dozens of victims and hundreds trapped under the rubble in the opposition-controlled Idlib region.

The quake struck while residents were likely asleep and unprepared for the impact. Video shared on social media shows dozens of collapsed buildings, while frightened residents huddled on the darkened streets amid the chaos.

The deadly powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkey early on Monday could be felt up to 300 kilometers away (186 miles), according to a CNN meteorologist.

Dozens of people have been killed in Turkey and neighboring Syria after the 7.8 quake struck; it’s tied as the strongest the country has experienced in more than 100 years of records.

CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said shaking from the quake could be felt as far away as Lebanon, hundreds of kilometers away.

“All the way down to Lebanon, it was around a 4 to a 4.5 is the equivalency of the magnitude of shaking they felt,” he said. “Northern Syria, in Aleppo they felt shaking equivalent to between a 6 and a 6.5 magnitude earthquake.”

Turkish officials say at least 76 people were killed. In Syria, at least 42 people have died and 200 others were injured after buildings collapsed, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported.

“A quake of this magnitude and in this part of the world, the shaking goes on for a long way. As you get closer to that epicenter, the shaking is greater,” Miller added.

At least 76 people have been killed in Turkey after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, according to Turkish officials.

The country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said another 440 people have been injured, with search and rescue efforts ongoing.

“All provincial AFAD Directorates were put on alert and all teams, especially search and rescue, were sent to the region,” AFAD said. 

The agency has appealed for help from the international community for its search and rescue operation.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday is tied as the strongest the country has experienced in more than 100 years of records, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS said an equally powerful 7.8 magnitude quake that hit eastern Turkey in 1939 resulted in more than 30,000 deaths.

Karl Lang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech University’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, told CNN the area hit by the quake Monday is prone to seismic activity.

“It’s a seismogenic area. It’s a very large fault zone, but this is a larger earthquake than they’ve experienced any time in recent memory,” Lang said.
“The magnitude of shaking that is felt on the surface is both a function of the amount of energy released, the size of the earthquake, but also how far that energy is released below the surface. So if it is very close to the surface, if it is a shallow earthquake, then it can be very dangerous.”

Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring per year anywhere in the world, on average. 

“What’s really unusual here is that it’s a very large earthquake that is also close to the surface,” Lang said.

Some context: Turkey is no stranger to strong earthquakes; seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck the country in the past 25 years —  but Monday’s is the most powerful. It is also the strongest quake to hit anywhere in the world since an 8.1 magnitude quake struck a remote region near the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean in 2021, resulting in no damage. 

At least 42 people have died and 200 others were injured in Syria after a strong earthquake hit southern Turkey early Monday, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported, citing a Health Ministry official. 

The deaths have been reported in the regions of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA said. 

Multiple buildings collapsed in Syria after the earthquake struck neighboring southern Turkey early on Monday, SANA said. 

The “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also said there have been dozens of victims and hundreds trapped under the rubble in the opposition-controlled Idlib region.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) on Monday called on the international community for help after a powerful deadly quake hit the south of the country.

AFAD said in a statement it needed international help “in the field of urban search and rescue.”

The quake occurred at 4:17 a.m. local time and was followed by 32 aftershocks, the statement said.

The provinces that felt the quake “intensely” across Turkey were Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Adana, AFAD said.

Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the south of the country after a deadly powerful quake struck early Monday.

“There are reports from many places. Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the region. Our first job is to do search and rescue,” Soylu told state broadcaster TRT. 

He added there are some serious traffic jams in some places and asked people to make way for ambulances and rescue teams.

Turkish officials say at least 17 people have been killed after the magnitude 7.8 quake hit.

Multiple buildings have collapsed in Syria after a powerful earthquake struck neighboring southern Turkey early on Monday, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported. 

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the quake hit near Kahramanmaras and the city of Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border.

An eight-story building collapsed in Syria’s Hama province, SANA reported, citing the Hama Fire Brigade. Multiple buildings were also reported to have collapsed in the port city of Latakia and the city of Aleppo, SANA said. 

Exams scheduled for Monday in at least two Syrian universities have been postponed, SANA said. 

Kerem Kinik, president of Turkey’s Red Crescent, said the organization is shipping additional blood supplies to southern Turkey after a deadly earthquake struck early Monday. 

“We are shipping additional blood and blood products to the Deprem region. We have National Blood Stocks for the first stage shipment in our Regional Blood Banks. However, we invite our citizens to donate blood throughout Turkey during the day for additional needs that may occur in the future,” Kinik tweeted. 

The Red Crescent is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement.

At least 17 people have died in the wake of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit southern Turkey Monday morning.

At least five people from the Osmaniye province have died, Gov. Erdinç Yılmaz told CNN affiliate CNN Turk. 

Yılmaz said at least 34 buildings collapsed, according to preliminary data.

An additional 12 people have died in Sanliurfa province, Gov. Salih Ayhan told CNN affiliate CNN Turk. Ayhan also said at least 18 buildings have collapsed. 

At least 10 provinces across southeastern Turkey have been impacted by the earthquake, according to Turkish authorities. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent his “best wishes” to those affected by the earthquake.

At least 17 people were killed when the 7.8-magnitude quake hit southern Turkey in the early hours of Monday, toppling buildings and sending residents running into the streets as aftershocks were felt across the region.

Erdogan said the quake was felt in many parts of the country and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) of Turkey was on alert to assist the victims.

“I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaraş and was felt in many parts of our country. All our relevant units are on alert under the coordination of AFAD,” Erdogan wrote on Twitter.

Gaziantep Gov. Davut Gul said on Twitter that “the earthquake was felt strongly in our city.”

Gul advised the public to wait outside their homes and stay calm.

“Please let’s wait outside without panic. Let’s not use our cars. Let’s not crowd the main roads. Let’s not keep the phones busy,” he said.

The magnitude 7.8 quake hit at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said Monday.

Journalist Eyad Kourdi, who lives in the city of Gaziantep, told CNN there were up to eight “very strong” aftershocks in under a minute after the 7.8 magnitude quake struck, causing belongings in his home to fall to the ground.

Many of his neighbors had left their homes following the quake, he added.

Strong aftershocks are likely to continue in the hours and even days to come after an earthquake as strong as this one, according to CNN meteorologists.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has hit southern Turkey, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said Monday.

The quake hit at 4:17 a.m. local time.

The quake’s depth is 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), located 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province, according to the USGS. 

Strong aftershocks: Another earthquake of 6.7 magnitude struck 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the epicenter about 11 minutes after the first quake, the USGS said.