Live: Death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria rises to 1,500

The strong earthquake of magnitude 7.7 that shook Turkey this morning has left more than 1,500 dead, at least 912 dead and more than 5,300 injured in that country alone, to which are added another 592 fatalities in Syrian territory, various sources reported. .

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey on Monday afternoon, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported, hours after another quake killed nearly 1,500 people in the region. The tremor was registered at 1:24 p.m. (10:24 a.m. GMT) four kilometers southeast of the town of Ekinozu.

At least 284 people died in Turkey and another 2,320 were injured, according to the latest balance reported by the Turkish Vice President, Fuat Oktay. In neighboring Syria, nearly 400 people lost their lives: at least 239 in government-controlled areas in Damascus, according to official television, and some 147 in rebel-held sectors, according to rescue services. Both sides reported hundreds of injuries.

The European Union announced on Monday the dispatch of rescue teams and is preparing more aid for Turkey after the strong earthquake in the southeast of the country that caused hundreds of deaths, according to the Commissioner for Crisis Management of the EU executive.

Russia has prepared two Il-76 planes to transport Russian rescuers to Turkey so that they can assist Turkey in search and rescue of the victims of the series of earthquakes that rocked Turkey’s southeast.

Azerbaijan will send 370 rescuers to Turkey to help Turkey in the rescue efforts. The Italian Government offered its availability to collaborate in first aid. Georgia, Turkey’s neighbor, and Kazakhstan, a country that is part of the Organization of Turkic States, offered Ankara help to alleviate the consequences of the serious earthquake. The Government of Israel offered a “rapid aid programme”, which includes humanitarian support, to deal with the catastrophe.

The Syrian National Seismological Center reported Monday that a 4.6 magnitude aftershock has shaken the north of the country hours after the devastating earthquake with its epicenter in
Turkey that has left at least 236 dead and more than 600 injured in Syria, official sources reported.

At least 284 people died and 2,320 were injured in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck this Monday in
Turkey, according to the latest balance reported by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay. More than a thousand buildings completely collapsed, which suggests a more serious toll of deaths and injuries, said the vice president.

The White Helmets, the main rescue group in the opposition areas of northwest Syria, have declared a “state of emergency” in the area due to “widespread destruction” caused by an earthquake measuring between 7.4 and 7.8 magnitude. with epicenter in the southeast of
Turkey.

He Italian Civil Protection Department has issued an alert on Monday for possible tsunami waves on its coasts after the earthquake of magnitude 7.8 with epicenter between
Turkey and Syria occurred this morning, reports the ANSA agency.

In Turkey at least 53 people died from the earthquake, 23 of them in Malatya province, 17 in Sanliurfa province, seven in Osmaniye province and six in Diyarbakir province, according to local authorities. In Syria, the death toll reached 42 in several cities due to the collapse of different buildings after the earthquake in the neighboring country, reported the state news agency SANA based on statements by an official from the Ministry of Health.

At least 15 people died in the Turkish provinces of Osmaniye (south) and Sanliurfa (southeast) after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the area, provincial governors reported.

Just minutes after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, another 6.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded 9.9 kilometers deep.

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook southern
Turkey with epicenter near Gaziantep, reported the United States Geological Survey (USGS) at 4:17 am (Turkey time).