Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 6: Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, said that over 912 people had been killed in Turkey, with 5,383 wounded. He said authorities were unable to predict how high the toll might rise as search and rescue operations continued, Reuters report. He said 45 countries had so far offered assistance.
Syria’s state news agency reported more than 320 dead in the country, with over 1,000 wounded. The White Helmets rescue service has also reported that 147 people had died and more than 340 were injured in Syria in areas where it operates, which are unlikely to have been included in the official state figures.
Hundreds are still believed to be trapped under rubble. The epicentre of the quake was near the city of Gaziantep in Turkey, and it was felt as far away as Cyprus.
There are also reports that a large aftershock has occurred in the region. Reuters reports that state media in Syria has said Damascus has been struck by an earthquake. Syria’s capital is significantly further south from the area around Aleppo that was initially affected by the earthquake overnight. Other reports say that mild tremors were felt in Dohuk, Erbil and Mosul in Iraq, while some observers on social media have noted that it has been felt across Turkey including in Ankara.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre has tweeted that it detected a 7.7 quake twenty minutes ago, although it cautions this is preliminary data.
In the wake of the 7.8 magnitude quake, another quake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale has also shaken Cyprus. The aftershock, whose epicentre was 75 km southeast of Famagusta, hit at 11.23 am local time, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
The new quake follows what the eastern Mediterranean island’s geological survey department described as a series of “small tsunamis” off the Famagusta coast triggered by Monday’s massive quake earlier. Christodoulos Hadjigeorgiou, who directs the geological survey department, said the effect of the tsunamis could have been catastrophic had an underwater landslide been provoked.
Speaking to the island’s public broadcaster, CYBC, Hadjigeorgiou said the geological survey department was monitoring the situation closely. He said the first quake struck the Turkish-Syrian Gaziantep border area at 3:17 am followed by a second quake at 3.28 am measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale. Six aftershocks of over 5 on the Richter scale followed.
Monday’s devastating quake came hours after a 3.6 earthquake shook Cyprus on Sunday. That quake’s epicentre was located 25km north east of the coast of Paralimni.
In breakaway Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus a crisis centre has been set up with the aim of assisting mainland Turkish authorities.
Meanwhile, India and other countries are rushing aid after a major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 hit Turkey and Syria earlier in the day leaving over 1,200 people dead and several hundred injured. The death toll is still mounting.
Also Read: Earthquake in Syria, Turkey: India to send rescue, medical teams to Ankara
The Indian government has decided to immediately dispatch search and rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force, medical teams and relief material to earthquake-hit Turkey, This is following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions to offer all possible assistance.
Two teams of the NDRF comprising 100 personnel with specially trained dog squads and necessary equipment are ready to be flown to the quake-hit region. Medical teams are being formed with trained doctors and paramedics. They will carry essential medicines.
The decision was taken at a meeting held by PM Modi’s principal secretary P K Mishra.
