TURKEY: At least 29 people were killed while dozens of others were reportedly trapped under rubble in Turkey and Syria after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. 

The early-morning Monday earthquake occurred 33 km from the major city of Gaziantep and at a depth of 10 km close to Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey. There have been at least 6 aftershocks, and tsunami risk is currently being assessed by monitoring services.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the quake. “We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,”  

According to official media claims, entire buildings have collapsed in northwest Syria, with examples from Aleppo and Hama. People in the area controlled by rebels have been asked to leave and congregate in open spaces by the opposition's Syrian Civil Defense. Many citizens of Damascus' capital city had fled to the streets as the buildings trembled.

Buildings shook about 40 seconds, jolting citizens in Lebanon as well as those in the directly afflicted areas. Many Beirut inhabitants evacuated their homes, wandered the streets, or sped away from the structures. Cyprus could also feel the vibrations.

Visuals shared online after the earthquake showed a trail of destruction throughout many places, including broken structures and fires. According to updates on Turkish television and social media, rescuers were seen sifting through the wreckage of demolished buildings in the cities of Kahramanmaras and neighbouring Gaziantep.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu stated that there were at least 6 earthquakes and advised people against going into damaged structures due to the dangers.

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