Over 300+ people were killed and more
than ,1000 others in jured in Turkey
and Syria. after a massive earthquake
measuring 78 on the Richter scole struck
a wide area nea the two countries,
border according to authorities,
The US Geological Survey said the
tremor Occured at 4:17 am, at a depth
of 17.9 km near the Turkish city of
Gaziantep, reports the BBC reported.
Addressing reporters, Turkey's Interior
Minister Suleymon Soyu said the 10
cities of Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay,
Osmaniye, Adiyoman, Malatya, Sanliurfa,
Adona, Diyarbakir and Kilis were
affected.
While in Malatya Province, north-east
of Goziantep, at east 23 people were
killed, in Sanliurfa, to the east, there
were 17 deaths, the Minister said, adding
that the rest of the fatalities were
reported in Diyarbakir and Osmaniye.
About 440 people were injured in
Turkey and 639 in Syria.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Health Ministry
said that 237 people were killed due to
the quake which was also felt in Lebanon
and Cyprus.
The fatalities were reported in the
regions of Aleppo, Hama, Tartus and
Latakia, according to the Syrian Arab
News Agency,
The agency quoted Deputy Minister
of Health Ahmad Damiriyeh as saying
that general emergency plans haue been
implemented to provide for the affected
areas and that private hospitals have
been ordered to rece ive all injured
COses, eports Xinhua news agency,
The Ministry of Transport announced
earlier the suspension of train traffic on
all tailways as a Precautionary measure,
pending inspection of the bridges and
tracks of the railway network.
Authorities in the two neighbouring
nations fear an increase in the death
toll as many buildings have collopsed and
rescue teams were deployed to search for
Survivors under huge piles of rubble.
The initiol quake was followed by
another one measuing 6,4 on the Richter
Scale at 4.26 am, Xinhua. news agency
quoted Turkey's Disaster and Emergency
Management Authority (AFAD), as saying.
At least 50 successive earthquakes were
recorded with a maximum magnitude of
6.6, said AFAD.
Widespread domoge was reported in
at least 10 prouinces in southern and
southeastern Turkey, it added.
