Turkey Earthquake LIVE: 568 dead as 7.9 quake rocks Turkey, Syria; rescue ops on

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Turkey followed by another strong quake which was felt in several provinces in the region, knocking down a number of buildings, reports said.

The US Geological Survey said quake was centred about 33 kilometres (20 miles) from Gaziantep about 26 kilometres (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi. It was centred 18 kilometres (11 miles) deep, according to the US Geological Survey.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency was centered in the town of Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province.

At least 2300 people injured in Turkey

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay says at least 2,300 people were injured across 10 provinces affected by the quake and 1,700 buildings collapsed.

What US said on Turkey earthquake

The US was assessing options to help the most affected, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement, citing orders by President Joe Biden.

“We have activated a fourth level alert, this entails international help,” Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told a televised news conference in Ankara.

Impact of earthquake in Aleppo, Hama

Buildings were reported collapsed in a cross-border swath extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast.