February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

By Tara Subramaniam, Rhea Mogul, Adam Renton, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 0503 GMT (1303 HKT) February 7, 2023
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12:06 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Shaking from quake could be felt as far away as Lebanon, CNN meteorologist says

The deadly powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkey early on Monday could be felt up to 300 kilometers away (186 miles), according to a CNN meteorologist.

Dozens of people have been killed in Turkey and neighboring Syria after the 7.8 quake struck; it's tied as the strongest the country has experienced in more than 100 years of records.

CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said shaking from the quake could be felt as far away as Lebanon, hundreds of kilometers away.

"All the way down to Lebanon, it was around a 4 to a 4.5 is the equivalency of the magnitude of shaking they felt," he said. "Northern Syria, in Aleppo they felt shaking equivalent to between a 6 and a 6.5 magnitude earthquake."

Turkish officials say at least 76 people were killed. In Syria, at least 42 people have died and 200 others were injured after buildings collapsed, Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported.

"A quake of this magnitude and in this part of the world, the shaking goes on for a long way. As you get closer to that epicenter, the shaking is greater," Miller added.

12:30 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

At least 76 dead in Turkey after major earthquake 

A building in Diyarbakir, Turkey is damaged following an earthquake on February 6.
A building in Diyarbakir, Turkey is damaged following an earthquake on February 6. (Omer Yasin Ergin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

At least 76 people have been killed in Turkey after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, according to Turkish officials.

The country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said another 440 people have been injured, with search and rescue efforts ongoing.

"All provincial AFAD Directorates were put on alert and all teams, especially search and rescue, were sent to the region," AFAD said. 

The agency has appealed for help from the international community for its search and rescue operation.

12:31 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

The deadly quake is one of the most powerful to hit Turkey in the past 100 years

Damage and debris are seen in Adana, Turkey on February 6.
Damage and debris are seen in Adana, Turkey on February 6. (Omer Yildiz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday is tied as the strongest the country has experienced in more than 100 years of records, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS said an equally powerful 7.8 magnitude quake that hit eastern Turkey in 1939 resulted in more than 30,000 deaths.

Karl Lang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech University's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, told CNN the area hit by the quake Monday is prone to seismic activity.

"It's a seismogenic area. It's a very large fault zone, but this is a larger earthquake than they've experienced any time in recent memory," Lang said.
"The magnitude of shaking that is felt on the surface is both a function of the amount of energy released, the size of the earthquake, but also how far that energy is released below the surface. So if it is very close to the surface, if it is a shallow earthquake, then it can be very dangerous."

Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring per year anywhere in the world, on average. 

"What's really unusual here is that it's a very large earthquake that is also close to the surface," Lang said.

Some context: Turkey is no stranger to strong earthquakes; seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck the country in the past 25 years —  but Monday's is the most powerful. It is also the strongest quake to hit anywhere in the world since an 8.1 magnitude quake struck a remote region near the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean in 2021, resulting in no damage. 

11:17 p.m. ET, February 5, 2023

At least 42 dead, 200 injured in Syria after earthquake and aftershocks 

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury 

At least 42 people have died and 200 others were injured in Syria after a strong earthquake hit southern Turkey early Monday, Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported, citing a Health Ministry official. 

The deaths have been reported in the regions of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA said. 

Multiple buildings collapsed in Syria after the earthquake struck neighboring southern Turkey early on Monday, SANA said. 

The "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also said there have been dozens of victims and hundreds trapped under the rubble in the opposition-controlled Idlib region.

11:13 p.m. ET, February 5, 2023

Turkey's disaster agency calls for help from international community after deadly quake

From CNN's Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) on Monday called on the international community for help after a powerful deadly quake hit the south of the country.

AFAD said in a statement it needed international help "in the field of urban search and rescue."

The quake occurred at 4:17 a.m. local time and was followed by 32 aftershocks, the statement said.

The provinces that felt the quake "intensely" across Turkey were Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Adana, AFAD said.

11:03 p.m. ET, February 5, 2023

Turkey dispatches search and rescue teams after deadly powerful quake

From CNN's Gul Tuysuz and Hande Atay Alam 

Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the south of the country after a deadly powerful quake struck early Monday.

"There are reports from many places. Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the region. Our first job is to do search and rescue," Soylu told state broadcaster TRT. 

He added there are some serious traffic jams in some places and asked people to make way for ambulances and rescue teams.

Turkish officials say at least 17 people have been killed after the magnitude 7.8 quake hit.

12:42 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Syria reports multiple collapsed buildings after strong quake in neighboring Turkey 

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury 

Rescue workers search the rubble of a collapsed building in Idlib, Syria, on February 6.
Rescue workers search the rubble of a collapsed building in Idlib, Syria, on February 6. (Aaref Watad/AFP/Getty Images)

Multiple buildings have collapsed in Syria after a powerful earthquake struck neighboring southern Turkey early on Monday, Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported. 

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the quake hit near Kahramanmaras and the city of Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border.

An eight-story building collapsed in Syria's Hama province, SANA reported, citing the Hama Fire Brigade. Multiple buildings were also reported to have collapsed in the port city of Latakia and the city of Aleppo, SANA said. 

Exams scheduled for Monday in at least two Syrian universities have been postponed, SANA said. 

10:56 p.m. ET, February 5, 2023

Turkey's Red Crescent invites people to donate blood after powerful quake

From CNN's Hande Atay Alam 

Kerem Kinik, president of Turkey's Red Crescent, said the organization is shipping additional blood supplies to southern Turkey after a deadly earthquake struck early Monday. 

"We are shipping additional blood and blood products to the Deprem region. We have National Blood Stocks for the first stage shipment in our Regional Blood Banks. However, we invite our citizens to donate blood throughout Turkey during the day for additional needs that may occur in the future," Kinik tweeted. 

The Red Crescent is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement.

11:38 p.m. ET, February 5, 2023

At least 17 dead after 7.8 magnitude earthquake 

From CNN's Gul Tuysuz

Buildings collapse in Sanliurfa, Turkey, on February 6.
Buildings collapse in Sanliurfa, Turkey, on February 6. (Rauf Maltas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

At least 17 people have died in the wake of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit southern Turkey Monday morning.

At least five people from the Osmaniye province have died, Gov. Erdinç Yılmaz told CNN affiliate CNN Turk. 

Yılmaz said at least 34 buildings collapsed, according to preliminary data.

An additional 12 people have died in Sanliurfa province, Gov. Salih Ayhan told CNN affiliate CNN Turk. Ayhan also said at least 18 buildings have collapsed. 

At least 10 provinces across southeastern Turkey have been impacted by the earthquake, according to Turkish authorities.