February, 2023 : Latakia, Syria
At least 780 are dead in Syria, with another 2,300 injured according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck at 4:17 am local time today.
The epicenter was near Gaziantep, Turkey on the Syrian border. After shocks began almost immediately with a powerful 6.7 quake eleven minutes after the initial 7.8 jolt.
Deaths have been reported in the Syrian regions of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, with Tartus having been impacted by the quake, according to SANA.
An eight-story building collapsed in Syria's Hama province, SANA reported, citing the Hama Fire Brigade. Multiple buildings were also reported to have collapsed in the port city of Latakia, and the city of Aleppo, SANA said.
The Red Crescent in both Turkey and Syria have both asked people to donate blood after the powerful quake. Churches and Mosques in Syria have opened their doors to the homeless.
In Turkey, at least 1,500 dead, with more than 8,550 injured, according to the Turkish media. At least 10 provinces across southeastern Turkey have been impacted by the earthquake, with 3,800 buildings collapsed.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said Monday it recorded seven quakes with a magnitude above 5. The strongest aftershock so far was recorded at 1:30 pm Monday and had a magnitude of 7.5.
Strong aftershocks are likely to continue in the hours and even days to come after an earthquake as strong as this one, according to meteorologists.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus said in a statement it is "mobilizing all its units, formations and institutions in all governorates to provide immediate aid and urgent assistance to the residents affected by the earthquake, search for people trapped under the rubble, and to treat the injured."
Shaking from the quake could be felt up to 300 kilometers away (186 miles) from the epicenter.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the border between Turkey and Syria is tied as the strongest the country has experienced in more than 100 years of records, according to the USGS.
An equally powerful 7.8 magnitude quake that hit eastern Turkey in 1939 resulted in more than 30,000 deaths.
Turkey has experienced seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater in the past 25 years, but Monday's is the most powerful. It is also the strongest quake to hit anywhere in the world since an 8.1 magnitude quake struck a remote region in the southern Atlantic Ocean in 2021.
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