Turkey hit by many strong aftershocks after 7.8 earthquake, 1,800 dead so far

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and Syria early on Monday (February 6), killing over 1,800 people and injuring thousands. The massive quake that was felt as far as Cyprus and Lebanon, toppled buildings and sent panicked residents outside.

The US Geological Survey said the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 04:17 local time at a depth of 17.9km near the city of Gaziantep.

While the rescue operations were still on, another huge tremor of 7.5 magnitude hit the Central Turkey, just 4 km away from Ekinozu. The depth of this aftershock was just 10 km.

The aftershocks continued with a 5.8 quake, followed by a 5.7 and then another one of 6.0 magnitude in Central Turkey, reported USGS.

Aftershocks: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported a series of further earthquakes following the initial tremor. There were several aftershocks, and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks.

Many trapped: Many people are under the rubble of crushed buildings and rescue workers and residents were searching for survivors on both sides of the border. "Our primary job is to carry out the search and rescue work and to do that all our teams are on alert," Turkish Interior Minister said.

• Images on Turkish television and social media showed rescuers digging through the rubble of levelled buildings in the city of Kahramanmaras and neighbouring Gaziantep.

Death toll may rise: As the rescue operations have just begun and there are too many demolished structures, the death toll is expected to rise. At least 1,042 people were killed in 10 Turkish provinces, with more than 5,000 injured, according to Turkey’s President.

• At least 783 people were killed across Syria in both government-controlled areas and rebel-held areas.

Rescue ops: In Turkey's Diyarbakir, rescue teams called for silence as they tried to listen for survivors under the wreckage of an 11-story building. Broadcasters TRT and Haberturk showed footage of people picking through building wreckage, moving stretchers and seeking survivors in Kahramanmaras.

• "Our primary job is to carry out the search and rescue work and to do that all our teams are on alert," Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told reporters.
• In northwest Syria, the opposition's Syrian Civil Defense described the situation in the rebel-held region as "disastrous" adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble. Emergency rooms were full of injured, said Amjad Rass, president of the Syrian American Medical Society to AP.

'Biggest disaster in Turkey in last century': Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it is the biggest disaster the country has experienced in the last century. "We've taken prompt action, mobilised rescue units in all affected provinces. In addition to NATO & EU, we received aid offers from 45 countries," Erdogan said.

Quake-prone area: Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. At least 18,000 people were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999. In October that same year, a magnitude-7.0 quake hit the Aegean Sea, killing 114 people and wounding more than 1,000.

Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed widespread building without safety precautions, reported France24.