Human Interest

More Than 2,300 People Dead After 2 Massive Earthquakes Hit Turkey and Syria

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation," President Joe Biden said in a social media statement Monday morning

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Published on February 6, 2023 09:29 AM

Thousands of people were killed and thousands more injured after two huge earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey's central southern Gaziantep province at a depth of 11 miles early Monday morning.

The earthquake was one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years, CNN reported.

It was then followed 11 minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock, per the USGS, and numerous aftershocks, NBC News said.

Approximately nine hours later, another 7.5-magnitude quake hit about 100 miles north of Gaziantep at a depth of 6 miles, according to the USGS.

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Residents stand in front of a collapsed building following an earthquake in the town of Jandaris, in the countryside of Syria's northwestern city of Afrin in the rebel-held part of Aleppo province, on February 6, 2023. - Hundreds have been reportedly killed in north Syria after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that originated in Turkey and was felt across neighbouring countries. — RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty

As of Monday morning, the death toll from the earthquakes has risen to at least 2,300, according to the Associated Press.

Search and rescue operations continue after 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Elazig, Turkiye on February 06, 2023. Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) of Turkiye said the 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (0117GMT) and was centered in the Pazarcik district in Turkiyeâs southern province of Kahramanmaras. Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces are heavily affected by the quake. — Ismail Sen/Anadolu Agency via Getty

Turkey's emergency AFAD disaster agency reported 1,498 people were killed and 7,600 injured in the natural disaster, with 2,818 buildings collapsed as of Monday morning, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, in Syria, the country's health ministry said that more than 430 people had also been killed and 1,280 injured, per the outlet.

Search and rescue operations continue after 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Adana, Turkiye on February 06, 2023. Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) of Turkiye said the 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (0117GMT) and was centered in the Pazarcik district in Turkiyeâs southern province of Kahramanmaras. Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces are heavily affected by the quake. — Hasan Huseyin Kul/Anadolu Agency via Getty

CNN reported that Azerbaijan is planning to send a search and rescue team and aid material to Turkey, while the Netherlands said it will send search and rescue equipment. German technical aid agency THW is also preparing to send help to the affected areas, the outlet said.

In a statement reacting to the earthquakes on Twitter, President Joe Biden wrote (using the country's preferred spelling of its name), "I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria."

"I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye and provide any and all needed assistance," he added.