Powerful earthquake kills over 560 in Turkey, Syria

At least 560 people have been killed Monday in government-held parts of Syria following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that had its epicentre in southeastern Turkey near the border between the two countries, the Syrian health ministry said.

Horrific news of tonight’s earthquake in #Turkey & northern #Syria — the damage looks extensive.

The epicenter region is home to millions of refugees and IDPs, many of whom live in tents & makeshift structures. This is the absolute nightmare scenario for them. And it’s winter. pic.twitter.com/oACzWYtWb2

— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) February 6, 2023

A  powerful earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck central part on early Monday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said.The quake occurred 26 km east of Nurdagi city in the Gaziantep province, at a depth of 17.9 km, according to the United States Geological Survey.While there was no official word on the extent of damage and human toll, post and videos on social media indicated there were multiple casualties.

A Massive 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake has struck Central Turkey within the last hour, Severe Damage and multiple Casualties are being reported across the Region. pic.twitter.com/qILgKNAHMK

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 6, 2023

The US Geological Survey measured the temblor at 7.9, centered at 7 kilometers from Nurdadi/Gaziantep, in southern Turkey. USGS said the quake struck at 04:17 am local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers (11 miles). The quake was felt as far as Cyprus, Greece, Jordan, and Lebanon, the USGS said.Turkish authorities have not yet reported any deaths or injuries, but videos posted on social networks showed destroyed buildings in several cities in the southeast of the country.