Ankara (Turkey): Four countries of the Middle East, Turkiye (old name Turkey), Syria, Lebanon and Israel were shaken by the earthquake on Monday morning.
The most devastation is being seen in the epicenter Turkey and the areas of Syria near it. According to reports, 912 people have lost their lives in the country so far. There is news of 5385 people injured. In Syria, 386 people were killed and 639 were injured.
The total death toll in both the countries is said to be around 1300. Tremors were also felt in Lebanon and Israel, but no damage was reported here.
The epicenter of the earthquake was the city of Gaziantep in Turkey. It is 90 km away from the Syria border. That's why there was more devastation in its surrounding areas. Its effect is also visible. There are reports of buildings collapsing in many cities including Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Latakia.
India sending relief teams
At the same time, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the earthquake in Turkey. He said that the sentiments of 140 crore Indians are with Turkey. Government of India is sending search and rescue teams of NDRF and medical teams to Turkey along with relief material to help.
A high level emergency has been declared in Turkey as large-scale devastation is feared from the quake since the quake was quite strong.
The tremors were felt in 10 cities, including the capital Ankara, the city of Nurdagi. Apart from this, earthquake tremors were felt in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
Many aftershocks followed
According to local time, the earthquake occurred at 4.17 am. Many aftershocks followed Turkey's major quake. A second earthquake of magnitude 6.7 also occurred 11 minutes after the earthquake. Its center was 9.9 kilometers below the ground.
Seeing the photos and videos going viral on social media, it is feared that many people may be killed. However, the government has not officially given any information regarding the loss of life.
Syrian refugees live near the epicenter
Many Syrian refugees live in the city of Gaziantep, near the epicenter of the earthquake. According to the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees, Turkey has the largest number of refugees in the world. Of these, 3.5 million are Syrian refugees. Major operations are carried out to help them from Gaziantep itself.
Search and rescue teams on spot
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 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," he wrote.
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