New update
The tragic death toll from the strongest earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria today, Monday (6.2.2023), is increasing, while aftershocks that exceed 5 Richter continue during the day.
The earthquakes were centered in the province of Kahramanras and shook central and southern Turkey as well as northern Syria during the night. They were felt in Egypt and northern Iraq. According to the Anadolu Agency, citing the statements of the head of the disaster response agency Yunus Sezer, the dead have reached 1,014.
Aftershocks are constant in Turkey and all of them are strong. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Institute, the country is affected as 8 aftershocks have occurred only from 13:30 to 14:30 (Greece time), one of which was 6 Richter and the next one was 5.5 Richter.
They all occur near the epicenter of the first strongest earthquake and their focal depth is located from 10 to 80 kilometers.
Original text
A new large earthquake of similar magnitude to the one that has killed more than 1,300 people in Syria and Turkey occurred at 12:24 (Greece time) in Turkey.
According to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Institute, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter Scale.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) the earthquake occurred around 12:30 Greek time in central Turkey with a focal depth of 2 kilometers.
According to the first reports, many buildings have collapsed from the new earthquake and people are terrified.
The epicenter of the earthquake at noon on Monday was 67 km. northeast of the city of Kahramanmaras, near the border with Syria, in one of the areas where rescue operations for those trapped in the debris are being carried out.
Twelve minutes later, at 12:36 p.m., a powerful 5.9 Richter aftershock occurred, centered northeast of the city of Kahramanmaras.
More than 1,232 are dead in the two countries from the deadly 7.8 Richter earthquake at dawn
More than 1,232 people are dead in the two countries from the deadly 7.8 Richter earthquake that occurred early in the morning in Gaziantep.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the death toll in Turkey from the powerful earthquake reached 912. Erdogan announced that 2,818 buildings collapsed in the earthquake, while 5,385 Turkish citizens were injured. 2,470 people were rescued from the wreckage.
Erdogan acknowledged that he could not predict how much more the death toll would rise as search and rescue operations continued. So far 45 countries have offered aid to Turkey, he noted.
Besides, as reported by the Syrian state news agency, at least 320 people have been killed in Syria due to the earthquake and the injured are 1,000.
WHO is concerned about some areas of Turkey
The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier said it was concerned about areas of Turkey that have not been heard from after the deadly earthquake that struck the country overnight.
"National authorities will focus on search and rescue at this time," a WHO spokesman said in a statement to Reuters. "We expect an increased need to care for the injured and support the overall health system in the affected areas."
