At least 1,388 people have died across Turkey and Syria, after a huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake swept across southern Turkey early Monday, injuring thousands more people in both countries.
In Syria, at least 476 people have died, including 326 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to Syrian state news agency, which also reported at least 1,042 injuries. Out of those who lost their lives, at least 139 were in Latakia, its governor told Syrian state TV.
Meanwhile, the “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 150 deaths and 350 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.
In Turkey, at least 912 people have died and 5,385 people were injured, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a televised address Monday.
A CNN eyewitness said aftershocks were still being felt hours after the earthquake. Photos have also emerged showing the disastrous aftermath of the quake, with entire buildings collapsed and cars toppled over.
Rescuers are working through the debris of fallen infrastructure to search for survivors, while the port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey and some airport runways have been damaged.