As a result of the earthquake in the south-east of Turkey, 912 people were killed and 5385 were injured, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“The earthquake that occurred today at 04.17 local time was the largest disaster in the history of Turkey since the Erzincan earthquake in 1939. Unfortunately, the figure of 912 dead is not final,” he said. According to him, search and rescue operations continue.
In Syria, 326 people were killed, more than a thousand people were injured, informed local ministry of health.
The earthquake occurred in the Pazardzhik region in the province of Kahramanmarash at a depth of 7 km at 4:17 local time (coincides with Moscow). The magnitude of the fluctuations was 7.4 points, follows from the data of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). Several dozen aftershocks followed.
Tremors were felt in several regions: Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Mersin, Trabzon, Urfa, as well as in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Armenia and Israel.
In Turkey, according to the authorities, more than 2.8 thousand buildings were damaged. An eight-story building collapsed in Diyarbakir province, killing six people. At least 16 houses collapsed in Sanlıurfa province. In Adana, three high-rise residential buildings were completely destroyed.
In Gaziantep, a historic fortress, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, collapsed during an earthquake. This was reported by the Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak. The walls and towers of the fortress have collapsed, and whether they can be restored is still unknown.
According to Reuters, Syrian state media reported that a large number of buildings collapsed in Aleppo province. In Syria, the aftershocks resulted in the destruction of several buildings in the province of Hama. In the north of the country, railway communication has been stopped, the state of roads and bridges is being checked.
The head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, said that Turkey is ready to accept international assistance. The Turkish President said that offers of assistance to Ankara have already been received from 45 countries of the world, as well as the EU and NATO.
