Powerful Earthquake in Turkey Results in at Least 50 Deaths and Nearly 100 Injured

At least 50 people have died in southeastern Turkey due to a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale. This information was reported by RTVI.

According to local authorities, six people died in Diyarbakir, seven in Osmaniye, 15 in Şanlıurfa, and 23 in Malatya.

Local media reported that the earthquake struck near the city of Gaziantep at 4:17 AM with a magnitude of 7.8. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre stated that the epicenter was located 37 kilometers from populated areas at a depth of 10 kilometers. Several towns experienced building collapses.

The information from Turkey's disaster and emergency management agency differs from that of the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre. According to the agency, the earthquake that occurred in the city of Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş province) at 4:17 AM had a magnitude of 7.4 and originated at a depth of 7 kilometers.

Shocks were felt in Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Mersin, Trabzon, and Şanlıurfa. The earthquake was also felt in Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus.

Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu stated in a TRT television interview that after the initial shock, six additional aftershocks of more than 6 in magnitude were recorded. He noted that several regions of the country have been declared at the highest level of alert.

The governor of Osmaniye province reported that 34 buildings were destroyed, leading to five fatalities. In Şanlıurfa province, 16 buildings were destroyed, with at least 10 casualties.

In Adana, three multi-story buildings collapsed, while an eight-story building fell in Diyarbakir province. In Malatya province, located in southeastern Turkey, at least three people died and nearly 100 were injured.

According to the Sana news agency, an eight-story building collapsed in the city of Hama, Syria, situated 150 kilometers from the Turkish border.