More than 2,300 dead by earthquake: at least 1,498 in Turkey and 851 in Syria

The series of powerful earthquakes that have shaken the border area between Turkey and Syria today has left 2,349 dead and almost 11,000 injured in the two countries, and has demolished thousands of buildings.

At least 1,498 people have died and another 8,533 have been injured in Turkey, according to the country’s emergency service, Afad.

In Syria, embroiled in more than a decade of civil war, the affected area is divided between territory controlled by Bashar al-Assad’s government and the last opposition-controlled enclave of the country, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces.

Thus, the earthquake has left at least 461 dead and 1,326 injured in areas in the hands of Damascus in the northwestern provinces of Tartus, Latakia, Hama and Aleppo, according to the official SANA news agency.

On the other hand, in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last opposition stronghold in the country, and in other parts of neighboring Aleppo that also escape the control of Damascus, another 390 fatalities and some 1,000 wounded have been recorded, according to the report. White Helmets rescue group.

These opposition areas border Turkey and are closer to the epicenter, so the difference in the balance could be due to their lesser ability to coordinate the count, as there is no single government authority in charge of rescue operations.

It is foreseeable that the figure will increase considerably, since hundreds of buildings have collapsed or suffered serious damage and people still remain in the rubble.

Afad has reported that it has deployed more than 9,500 rescuers.

Thirteen countries of the European Union (EU) offered search and rescue teams on Monday, the European Commission reported.

The number of victims will increase

The first major earthquake was recorded at 4:17 a.m. (01:17 GMT) and had a magnitude of 7.7 degrees, according to the Turkish emergency service Afad, with its epicenter in Pazarcik in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras.

Subsequently, several tremors occurred, one of them of magnitude 7.6 at 10.24 GMT

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that some 45 countries have offered help after the devastating earthquake and the strong aftershocks that are still going on.

“It is the strongest earthquake since the Erzincan earthquake of 1939. According to the latest evaluations it is 7.7. There is serious damage also in neighboring areas of Syria”, said the Turkish president, confirming that there have been collapses or serious damage to 2,834 buildings and that 2,470 people had been rescued alive from the rubble.

“As debris removal work continues in many buildings in the earthquake zone, we do not know how high the number of deaths and injuries will be”Erdoğan declared.

The low temperatures and the snow in the area, where there are also mountainous territories that are difficult to access, complicate the rescue tasks.

According to Afad, there is no tsunami risk on its Mediterranean coast.

Tremors at many points

The quake was also strongly felt in Lebanon, including Beirut.

The epicenter was found in Pazarcik in the province of Kahramanmaras, according to the Turkish emergency service Afad, although the Kandilli seismic observatory locates it in Sofalici, in the neighboring province of Gaziantep, about 40 kilometers further south.

One of the symbols of the enormous destruction of the quake is the historic Roman castle of Gaziantep, which had stood for more than 1,700 years and has been leveled by the quake.

The historic citadel of Aleppo in Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has also suffered damage.

The Turkish authorities have announced the closure of schools in the ten most affected provinces and all sports competitions have also been suspended.