Death Toll Surpasses 4,000 After 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Syria, Turkey

The earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (06:47 IST) at a depth of 17.9 kilometres near the city of Gaziantep, as per the US Geological Survey. Another strong tremor of magnitude 7.5 shook the region in the afternoon. At least 35 aftershocks have rocked the region since the early morning quake of 7.8.

(Photo: Twitter)

The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and its consequent aftershocks, surpassed 4,000 people, AP reported on Tuesday, 7 February.

The big story: Since the first earthquake at 4:17 am local time on Monday, dozens of aftershocks have been shaking Turkey and neighbouring countries of Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus.

A staggering death toll: As per a report by AP, at least 2,921 people died in 10 of Turkey's provinces, while Syrian state media informed that the death count in the region crossed 1,400.

In Turkey, around 16,000 people sustained injuries, and over 2,000 were injured in Syria.

The death count is likely to rise, as search and rescue operations resume in the affected areas.

Time and location: The earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (06:47 IST) at a depth of 17.9 kilometres near the city of Gaziantep, as per the US Geological Survey.

• Gaziantep lies near the Turkey-Syria border

• Tremors were felt in the country's capital, Ankara, as well as other Turkish cities, the BBC reported

• Egypt's Cairo, which is over 1,500 kilometres from Gaziantep, was also subject to aftershocks

The damage? Hundreds of buildings were destroyed due to the earthquake, with over 34 buildings destroyed in the Osmaniye province, Governor Erdinc Yilma said.

Zooming out: The region sits on top of major seismic fault lines and Turkey is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Monday’s earthquake is worst since 1999 in Turkey, when nearly 18,000 were killed in a powerful earthquake of similar magnitude that hit the northwest part of the country.