The death toll in Turkey’s powerful earthquake could rise. Reports are coming out that more than 150 people have already died in Turkey and Syria. More than a thousand people are reported to have been injured. Most of the deaths are in Turkey and Syria. Officials indicated that the death toll could rise further. An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale was felt in southeastern Turkey. An aftershock of 6.7 on the Richter scale was also felt 15 minutes later. Many houses and buildings were destroyed by the strong earthquake. There are also reports that many people are trapped inside. Rescue operations are in progress in the earthquake affected areas. Turkey’s Malatya province alone has reported 23 deaths. 17 people died in Sanliurfa province, six in Diabkir and five in Osmaniye. 42 people died in the earthquake in neighboring Syria. According to the US Geological Service, the epicenter of the earthquake was near Gaziantep, the southeastern region of Turkey. Tremors were also felt in neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus. AFP reported that many buildings were destroyed in these places. The earthquake affected Syria’s Aleppo, Hama and Latakia. The Syrian Civil Defense Force reported that more than 100 people were trapped in the rubble of buildings in the rebel-held Idlib region, and many died here. But the exact information here has not been released. The earthquake occurred at 4.17 am local time. A powerful earthquake occurred while people were sleeping. Footage emerged of shocked people running around in panic. Efforts are on to evacuate people from the collapsed buildings. The epicenter of the earthquake was 17.9 kilometers underground in Gaziantep, south-eastern Turkey, near the border with Syria. The tremors were felt in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and other major cities nearby. Turkey’s Interior Minister announced that the earthquake affected ten cities in Turkey. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Twitter that rescue teams have been sent to the disaster area and that the whole country will face the disaster together. After the first tremor, six aftershocks were felt and the authorities have warned people not to go inside the damaged houses.
