February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

At least 1,504 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria, and thousands more injured, after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

In Syria, a total of at least 592 people have died, including 371 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to Syrian state news agency SANA, which also reported 1,089 injuries.

Meanwhile, the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 221 deaths and 419 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

“Hundreds remain trapped under rubble,” the White Helmets added on Twitter.

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.

Rescuers are working through the rubble of collapsed buildings to locate survivors, while NATO, the EU and 45 countries have offered assistance following the disaster.

A major aftershock measuring 7.5 in magnitude struck Turkey at 1:24 p.m. local time (5:24 a.m. ET), after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the region early Monday.

The aftershock is located approximately 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of the original quake that struck a little over nine hours earlier in southern Turkey, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

This is the largest of the more than 30 aftershocks to strike so far. This is a preliminary estimate on the earthquake magnitude and is subject to change.

This aftershock was extremely shallow, only 10 km deep, which worsens the shaking felt. The main quake was 17.9 km deep.

Before this morning’s 7.8, the 7.5 magnitude earthquake would have been the most powerful to strike Turkey since the 1999 Izmit quake that killed at least 17,000 people.

More than 1,500 people have died across Turkey and Syria following Monday's quake, with thousands more injured in both countries.

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.

Earthquakes are measured using seismographs, which monitor the seismic waves that travel through the Earth after a quake.

Scientists used the Richter Scale for many years but now largely follow the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, which the US Geological Survey says is a more accurate measure of size.

The Richter scale measures magnitude, whereas the MMI scale measures intensity.

Here are the magnitude classes, according to the California Earthquake Authority:

Magnitude and intensity conceptualize earthquakes differently. The California Institute of Technology explains:

A humanitarian organization in Syria has made a plea for urgent assistance from the international community.

Speaking on CNN's This Morning show, Rahaf Aboud, head of communications at the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, called for “the support of the European Union, the United Nations, and the international community in response to the devastating earthquake that took place in Syria.”

Aboud requested that these organizations “provide the necessary resources and support, including shelter, food, medical care, and other essential supplies.”

“We hope that the UN will respond to this call for support to alleviate the suffering of those who have been impacted by this earthquake through cross-line intervention,” Aboud said, speaking live from Damascus, Syria.

This morning, volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are at affected sites in Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia, responding to people trapped in the buildings that collapsed as a result of the earthquake.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, displaced by the war in their home country, are settled in the regions of Turkey that have been worst hit by this morning’s earthquake.

Turkey shelters more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, according to data from Human Rights Watch. 

Many of these refugees settled along the Turkish-Syrian border. The Hatay, Gaziantep and Sanliurfa provinces are each home to more than 300,000 Syrians, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Other neighboring provinces also shelter hundreds of thousands more refugees, who have fled their home country since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

The Turkish government has received offers of assistance from the the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union and 45 countries following the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the news in a televised address Monday, adding that at least 912 people have died in the country following the 7.8 magnitude quake.

Another 5,385 people have been injured and more than 2,400 people rescued from under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The Turkish leader said there has been "heavy destruction" in cities, with around 2,818 buildings destroyed. 

"We hope that we will overcome this disaster together as soon as possible," Erdogan added. 

In neighboring Syria, at least 386 people have died, including 239 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported earlier. The "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 147 deaths in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria. Hundreds more have been reported injured in Syria.

CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury contributed reporting.

More than 1,200 people have died in Turkey and Syria after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey early Monday, injuring thousands more across both countries.

At least 912 people have died in Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a televised address Monday. 

In Syria, at least 386 people have died, including 239 mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported earlier. The "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 147 deaths in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

Hundreds more people were also injured following the earthquake, with 648 wounded in Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, Syrian state TV reported. Another 340 injuries were also reported in opposition-controlled areas, White Helmets added. 

Rescue teams in Turkey rescued over 2,400 people from under the rubble of buildings flattened by the quake, Erdogan said.

In Turkey, around 9,000 personnel are working at the moment on search and rescue efforts with more people joining, the Turkish leader added. It is unknown how many more people are under the debris.

The Turkish government's coordination center is in the capital Ankara and is being run by Vice President Fuat Oktay, Erdogan said.

CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury contributed reporting.

Soccer teams in Turkey united to send messages of solidarity in the wake of Monday's deadly earthquake.

Istanbul giants Galatasaray wished a "quick recovery to the injured."

"May God show mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaras and felt in the nearby cities. Our condolences to the families and to our nation and we wish quick recovery to the injured," the club tweeted Monday.

Local city rivals Fenerbahce also took to social media to "wish God’s mercy on our citizens who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to our injured citizens in Kahramanmaras."

Another Istanbul-based team, Besiktas, sent their "best wishes" to "citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake felt in many cities, especially to Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakir, Malatya and Sanliurfa."

Besiktas also called on people to donate blood to help those impacted by the earthquake