A powerful earthquake struck south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, killing over 1400 people as they slept and trapping many others.
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NUMBER OF DEATHS RISING BY THE HOUR
The US Geological Survey said the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 4:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9km near the city of Gaziantep.
The Syrian health ministry said people had died in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus. The death toll is expected to increase dramatically over the next 10 hours.
According to authorities in Turkey and Syria, thousands of people are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The airport in Adana was closed for flights until further notice following the major earthquakes.
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SHOCKWAVES FELT IN CYPRUS AND LEBANON
In one province in Turkey, 130 buildings collapsed as a result of the shifting of tectonic plates at the epicenter of the earthquake. Shockwaves from the earthquake could be felt as far as Cyprus and Lebanon.
Turkish and Syrian officials have now stated national state of emergency, asking the international community for help.
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EARTHQUAKE CAUSES SERIOUS DAMAGE
A well-known partially collapsed in the province of Maltaya, where a 14-story building with 28 apartments also collapsed.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondents in northern Syria said terrified residents ran out of their homes after the ground shook.
At least 912 deaths were reported in Turkey, while 582 people died in Syria.
Iran, the EU, Israel, India, Russia, Qatar, and Ukraine were among the countries to help on Monday.
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Turkey is in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones. In 1999, more than 17,000 people were killed after a powerful tremor rocked the northwest of the country.
