The combined death toll due to massive earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has went up to over 2,000 while several thousands of people are injured in the regions.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck at 4:17 am local time in Gaziantep about 90 kilometres from the Syrian border while people were asleep. The region houses millions of refugees from the Syrian civil war.
Turkey’s disaster management agency said, the death toll in the country from the morning’s earthquake has risen to 1,498. Syrian authorities confirmed the death of 810 people and more than 2,000 injured.
Millions of people across Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and Israel felt the earthquake.
Authorities said, at least 20 aftershocks followed the first massive quake. Hours later, a second giant earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck more than 60 miles away in southeastern Turkey’s Kahramanmaras region. The deadly earthquake led to the toppling of hundreds of buildings.
Hundreds of people were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the region.
India and other countries along with international organisations are rushing aid to the earthquake-hit region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives due to the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria. In a tweet, Mr Modi said, India is committed to provide assistance and support in this difficult time.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said its network of emergency medical teams has been activated to provide essential health care for the injured and most vulnerable affected by the earthquake.
Comments are closed.