Hundreds have been killed following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border, with rescue missions currently ongoing.
The earthquake struck at 4:17 AM local time as many locals slept, with a 6.7 magnitude aftershock being felt just 11 minutes later, as reported by the BBC.
The quake struck southern Turkey but the tremors could be felt in other Turkish cities such as the capital Ankara, alongside neighboring countries such as Syria and Israel.
At the time of writing, the death toll stands at over 1,200 people but this is expected to rise in the coming hours as hundreds are still believed to be trapped under rubble, as per the Guardian.
World leaders have rallied to offer immediate support to the people of Turkey and Syria. The tremors were also felt in Greece and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has tweeted his support.
He said: "Deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake disaster in Türkiye and Syria. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims and our thoughts are with all the people affected. Greece is mobilizing its resources and will assist immediately."
As the BBC report explains, Turkey is one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world as it is located on the Anatolian tectonic plate which sits between the Eurasian, African, and Arabian plates which essentially caused Turkey to be "squeezed."
Syria's President Bashar Assad chaired an emergency meeting this morning in order to focus efforts on rescue operations after at least 320 Syrians were reported to have died.
Schools in the Turkish provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Adıyaman, Malatya, Şanlıurfa, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kilis have been suspended for a week, while flights to and from Hatay province have been canceled completely.
The major Turkish city of Gaziantep is reported to be one of the worst affected by the earthquake, with two aftershocks with a magnitude of 6.5 and 6.4 resulting in the highest death toll so far of 80 people.
As per the BBC, the region was hit by an earthquake registering 7.4 in magnitude on August 13, 1882, but the region of instability has not sustained any significant damage in the past 100 years.
India's government has said that India’s National Disaster Response Force, which includes 100 personnel with specially trained dog squads and equipment, is ready to offer aid, alongside the EU, Poland, Russia, Spain, and Taiwan offering support if required.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy.
