Turkey is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the world.
Istanbul:
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey on Monday, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake struck at 04:17 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers (11 miles).
According to AFAD, the government’s disaster management agency, the magnitude of the quake was 7.4.
The USGS reported another magnitude 6.7 earthquake near the site of the first about 15 minutes later.
The southern region of Gaziantep – one of Turkey’s key industrial and manufacturing centers – borders Syria. According to an AFP reporter, one could feel tremors in Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus.
Turkish authorities have not recorded any deaths or injuries, but videos posted on social media show destroyed buildings in several southeastern cities.
Big #earthquake registered M7.8 hit the middle of Turkey. pic.twitter.com/mdxt53QlQ0
– Asaad Sam Hanna (@AsaadHannaa) February 6, 2023
Turkey is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the world.
Duzce was one of the regions hit by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in 1999 – the worst to hit Turkey in decades.
That earthquake killed more than 17,000 people, including about 1,000 in Istanbul.
Experts have long warned that a major earthquake could devastate Istanbul, which has allowed rampant construction without safety precautions.
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Elazig in January 2020, killing more than 40 people.
And in October of that year, a magnitude 7 earthquake struck the Aegean Sea, killing 114 people and injuring more than 1,000.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
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