Many people are feared dead after a magnitude-7.8 quake struck south-east Türkiye and Syria, causing a number of buildings to collapse in both countries.
The earthquake, which struck in the early hours of Monday morning local time, lasted for about a minute.
The US Geological Survey said the quake was centred about 33 kilometres from Gaziantep, a major city and Turkish provincial capital.
It was 18 kilometres deep, and a strong magnitude-6.7 aftershock rumbled about 10 minutes later.
At least 10 deaths were reported initially in Türkiye.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit by the quake.
"We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage," he wrote on Twitter.
There were at least 6 aftershocks and authorities had urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.
"Our priority is to bring out people trapped under ruined buildings and to transfer them to hospitals," he said.
Several buildings fell in Türkiye's provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk television reported.
Türkiye sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.
Some 18,000 people were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit the north-west of the country in 1999.
Buildings collapse in Aleppo, Hama
In north-west Syria, the opposition's Syrian Civil Defence described the situation in the rebel-held region as "disastrous", adding that entire buildings had collapsed and people were trapped under the rubble.
The civil defence urged people to evacuate buildings and to gather in open areas.
Syria's state media reported that some buildings collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Hama.
In Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear.
The earthquake was also felt in Lebanon.
The quake jolted residents in Lebanon from beds, shaking buildings for about 40 seconds.
Many residents of Beirut left their homes and took to the streets or drove in their cars away from buildings.
Parts of the Middle East are experiencing a snowstorm that is expected to continue until Thursday.
By AP/Reuters/ABC
Original Article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-06/7-8-magnitude-quake-knocks-down-buildings-central-turkiye-turkey/101936060
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