Ankara (Turkey) / Dashmik (Syria): Powerful tremors were felt in Turkey and Syria on Monday morning. This has caused huge devastation in both places. Dozens of buildings have been razed to the ground. A shopping mall in Turkey collapsed like a house of cards. 15 people are feared dead in Turkey. People of both countries are in panic due to the possibility of destruction.
Sensing the magnitude of this natural calamity, the Turkish government has declared a state of emergency in the country. According to the BBC Turkey service, infrastructure in the quake-hit area has been badly damaged.
According to the US Geological Survey, the intensity of the earthquake has been measured at 7.8 on the Richter scale. The first tremor of this powerful intensity was felt close to Kahanmarash in Gaziantep near the Turkey-Syria border. There is a possibility of a loss of life and property on a large scale here.
The Turkish government said on the basis of administrative information received from the earthquake-affected areas that the first tremor was felt at 4.17 am local time. A second tremor was felt in central Turkey 15 minutes later.
The Syrian Civil Defense said the earthquake caused destruction in rebel-held areas of northwest Syria. Many buildings have completely collapsed. People are buried under the debris. There is an outcry in all directions.
