7.8 magnitude earthquake hits Turkey and Syria: death toll continues to rise, over 912 people killed
StePh Deschamps / February 6, 2023
The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquake on the Syria-Turkey border is rising sharply as rescue services in different parts of the two countries clear the rubble.
France is "ready to provide emergency aid to the people" in Turkey and Syria after the violent earthquake that killed hundreds of people in both countries, said Emmanuel Macron. "Terrible images come to us from Turkey and Syria after an earthquake of unprecedented force," the French president reacted on Twitter. "Our thoughts are with the bereaved families. »
The European Union has sent relief teams to Turkey, hit by a massive earthquake that is also affecting Syria, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic announced Monday. "Following this morning's earthquake in Turkey, we have activated the EU's civil protection mechanism. The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre is coordinating the deployment of European rescue teams. Teams from the Netherlands and Romania are already on their way," the EU official tweeted. This assistance is in response to a request from Turkey, said a Commission spokesman.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday offered his condolences to the Turkish and Syrian leaders and assured that Moscow was ready to provide assistance after the earthquake that killed hundreds of people in Syria and Turkey.
According to a statement issued by the Kremlin, Putin offered Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan his "sincere condolences" and assured that Russia was ready to "provide the necessary assistance. In another statement, addressed to Bashar al-Assad, he expressed his "sadness" and offered "all necessary assistance" from Moscow after this disaster.
The loss of life is incalculable. At the time of writing, nearly 912 people have died and over 5,000 are injured. Turkey and Syria are facing a devastating earthquake.
On the real estate front, the damage is also significant. According to the first findings, nearly 1,800 buildings have collapsed. Later, there were nearly 2,800 buildings.
Among the collapses, the castle of Gaziantep, symbol of the Turkish city, is no more.