More than 2,500 people have been killed and thousands more injured after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria early Monday. Officials continue to update the death toll as rescue efforts continue, news agencies reported.
The quake, one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years, struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
Multiple strong aftershocks have been felt across the region for hours after the first quake, including a severe quake measuring magnitude 7.5.
Turkey’s disaster agency appealed for help from the international community as it conducts search and rescue operations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning due to the earthquake.
Erdogan wrote in his tweet, “Due to the earthquakes that took place in our country on February 6, 2023, a national mourning period was declared for seven days. Our flag will fly at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, all over our country and within the foreign representations.” /Argumentum.al
