According to the United States Geological Survey, the seismic focus was at a depth of 17.9 kilometers and the epicenter was 23 kilometers east of Nurdağı.
The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center (CSEM) reported that the magnitude of this earthquake was 7.5 and its epicenter was within 30 kilometers of the city. Gaziantep (south), near the border Syria.
A few minutes later, a 6.7 magnitude aftershock was recorded in the central part of the country.
So far, the details of the injured or deceased persons are unknown.
According to the international news agency ‘EFE’, different magnitudes of the earthquake that shook many cities in Turkey were recorded in the early hours of the morning (local time). The latest updates allow the quake to reach a magnitude of 7.9.
The Turkish Government has declared a state of maximum alert for the emergency caused by the severe earthquake that hit the country. President Erdoğan assured that a large number of search units were mobilized to provide primary health care to those affected by the landslide.
According to officials in both Turkey and Syria, The death toll rose to 500 and at least 2,320 were injured. While the Turkish Government can adequately examine the extent of the damage done at the infrastructure level and the total number of people affected and killed by the disaster, it has decided on a mandatory holiday in the country next week.
World leaders have expressed solidarity with both countries where Israel, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany, among others, have already spoken to providing humanitarian aid. In coordination with the airports in Turkey, they stop all commercial flights and set up special runways at the entrance of humanitarian aid teams.
Developing news…
Source: Exame
