A major earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and neighboring Syria early Monday, devastating cities and killing and injuring thousands.
Here’s what we know so far about the disaster:
when and where
The US Geological Survey said the first 7.8-magnitude quake struck at a depth of about 18 kilometers (11 miles) near Gaziantep, the Turkish city that is home to about two million people.
It was followed by a slightly lesser 7.5-magnitude shock and dozens of aftershocks.
The earthquake devastated entire parts of major cities in Turkey and war-torn Syria.
The region also plays host to millions of people who have fled the civil war and other conflicts in Syria.
number of casualties
More than 5,000 people have been killed and thousands more injured, officials and medical sources have said, with efforts continuing to rescue those trapped under the rubble.
Syrian state media and rescue teams said at least 1,602 people were killed in the earthquake and more than 3,600 were injured across the country.
Turkey put the latest death toll at 3,419 with 20,534 injured in that country alone – with 5,021 confirmed in both Turkey and Syria.
Initial rescue efforts were hampered by a winter blizzard that covered major roads with ice and snow and disabled three major airports in the region, making the delivery of vital aid difficult.
Destruction
Some heavy destruction occurred between Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, near the epicenter of the earthquake, with entire city blocks lying in ruins.
Turkey said about 3,000 buildings had collapsed in seven different provinces, including public hospitals.
A famous 13th-century mosque partially collapsed in Malatya province, as did a 14-storey building with 28 apartments housing 92 people.
Social media posts showed a 2,200-year-old hilltop palace built by Roman legions in Gaziantep lying in ruins, its walls partially reduced to rubble.
In Syria, the health ministry reported damage in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus, where Russia is leasing a naval facility.
UNESCO said it was “particularly concerned” about the Old City of Aleppo, which has been on its list World The heritage has been under threat since 2013 due to the Syrian Civil War.
Even before the tragedy, buildings in Aleppo often collapsed due to poor infrastructure and many were dilapidated after more than a decade of war.
As well as damage to the fortresses in Aleppo and the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakır, UNESCO said other World Heritage sites could be affected.
International aid
Condolences and assistance have been offered, including from the European Union, the United Nations, NATO, Washington, Ukraine and Russia.
Despite political tensions, both Greece and Sweden pledged their support for Turkey.
President Joe Biden promised his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the United States would send “any and all” aid needed.
Beijing said the first Chinese rescue teams began work in Turkey on Tuesday and it was sending $5.9 million in emergency aid to the country.
The WHO said that 23 million people could be affected by the earthquake and promised long-term assistance.
read all Breaking News Here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)