More than 1,300 people were killed and thousands injured on Monday when two earthquakes struck central Turkey and northwest Syria.
Two earthquakes, one dubbed the most powerful earthquake in a century, struck the heart of Turkey and Syria on Monday, claiming the lives of over 1300 people, injuring scores, destroying buildings and further damaging Syrian cities that had already been decimated by years of war. According to reports, tremors of the massive earthquake were also felt in parts of Iraq.
Major Turkish cities were destroyed by the first 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which occurred in a volatile area where millions of refugees had fled the Syrian Civil War and other crises. The quake struck at 04:17 am (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometres (11 miles) near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which is home to around two million people, the US Geological Survey said.
هذه مأساة إنسانية كبيرة، يجب على الدول الإسلامية والعربية إرسال إغاثة عاجلة فورا للمتضررين من الزلزال في سوريا وتركيا..
هناك وفيات بالآلاف، والآلاف الأشخاص لا يزالون تحت الأنقاض . pic.twitter.com/E6iHKfxekS
Also read: Another earthquake of 7.6 magnitude strikes southern Turkey, second within 24 hours
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the second 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey this evening. The second shallow quake hit at 1:24 pm local time, 4 km south-southeast of the town of Ekinozu.
Speaking to the pro-government radio, the head of Syria's National Earthquake Centre, Raed Ahmed, noted that the first earthquake to hit the region on Monday was "the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the centre".
According to reports, at least 912 people died in Turkey, while at least 326 lost their lives in government-controlled parts of Syria. The death toll is expected to rise.
Horrible scenes keep pic.twitter.com/5tfuqi921G
— MJ. Nadim (@Barfibye)In their pyjamas, shocked survivors in Turkey hurried out onto the snow-covered streets to observe rescuers sifting through the wreckage of destroyed homes.
"Seven members of my family are under the debris," Muhittin Orakci, a stunned survivor in Turkey's mostly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, told news agency AFP. "My sister and her three children are there. And also her husband, her father-in-law and her mother-in-law."
A winter snowfall that coated main roadways in ice and snow hampered the rescue efforts. Officials reported that the earthquake rendered three of the region's significant airports inoperable, significantly hampering the delivery of critical relief.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, expressed his sympathies and called for national unity. Erdogan will be under enormous pressure to oversee an efficient reaction to the accident before a hotly contested election on May 14. "We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage," the Turkish leader tweeted.
Ülke ve millet olarak birlik ve beraberlik içinde inşallah bu felaket günlerini de geride bırakacağız.
Gün tek yürek, tek bilek olma günüdür...
Also read: Deadly 7.8 Turkey earthquake reminds the world of 1999 tremor
Instantly, condolence messages and assistance offers were issued from Washington, the European Union, and Russia. Greece, Turkey's historical opponent whose relations with Ankara have been strained by a slew of the border and cultural issues, also sent Turkey a letter of support.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to provide "the necessary assistance" to Turkey, whose combat drones are helping Kyiv fight the Russian invasion. And Iran issued separate expressions of condolence to both parties, working with Russia to aid Ankara in mending relations with Damascus after its efforts to assist in the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Indian government immediately dispatched search and rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force, medical teams and relief material to earthquake-hit Turkey following PM Narendra Modi's instructions to offer all possible assistance to the country.
Several visuals of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria have flooded Twitter, with some capturing the shocking devastation caused by the disaster. Here's a look at those videos that have gone viral on the microblogging site:
A new of the magnitude 7.8 occurred in News Reporter Running and Screaming pic.twitter.com/5sRtxaBB3Q
— Amit Sahu (@amitsahujourno)Heartbreaking scene!!!
Calling for help 😭😭💔 pic.twitter.com/lIBNXwzrpk
Dear world, today was a very sorrowful day many lives have been lost, families left their homes with tragedies. Please pray with us . pic.twitter.com/87XopZgw3B
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana)Horrific video of A residential building crumbles down in blink of an eye pic.twitter.com/LulD0pKBS5
— Amit Sahu (@amitsahujourno)The impact of the massive in the streets of Gaziantep, southern Turkey.
Update- 1006 Killed & 5590 injured. pic.twitter.com/n4ejuCz28l
A second earthquake has struck just hours after a massive 7.8 magnitude tremor struck the same region, killing at least 1,500 people. pic.twitter.com/ygrlGisByc
— Felicia Leffler (@FeliLefler)Horrific videos emerging from of the devastating earthquake building crumbles down in mere seconds pic.twitter.com/485DYrHIKN
— Amit Sahu (@amitsahujourno)This is so tragic. pic.twitter.com/HA4h6nKUOO
— Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT)Very Emotional moment.. pic.twitter.com/VZI264hbhz
— Harish Deshmukh (@DeshmukhHarish9)Turkey-Syria Earthquake; A Powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake badly destroyed major provinces of & Syria. Death toll rises to 1,639 while 6,000+ injured & this may further rise.. several remain trapped under rubble and heavy equipment is needed to rescue. pic.twitter.com/vxfiOOvBUi
— Khurram Zubair (@Khurram__z)DIYARBAKI- Many people are still waiting for relief and rescue team.
God please save them..
Update- 1006 Killed & 5590 injured. pic.twitter.com/e0SaAXD2VI
🚨 Over 1200 Dead after Powerful Catastrophic Earthquake hit Turkey and Syria…The earthquake was followed by more than 40 Aftershocks… pic.twitter.com/AR0gp5ZVeu
— Jyot Jeet (@activistjyot)
May Allah taala shower mercy. These are trials indeed, not punishments. We must show patience and solidarity with those affected. May Allah grant Jannah to the Deceased and ease sufferings of the people of Syria and Turkey. pic.twitter.com/U24IaH9ORE
Buildings collapse as people try to escape… pic.twitter.com/aFGrHPMe2R
— Jyot Jeet (@activistjyot)Heart wrenching
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Northern Syria too, which is already in rebels. No infrastructure to help the victims.
May Allah be with them 💔 pic.twitter.com/dUcdvyw1J5