Turkey, Syria rocked by 7.8-magnitude earthquake
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook Turkey and Syria early Monday, sending buildings tumbling to the ground.
Southeastern Turkey saw at least 10 initial deaths, with more casualties feared.
In northwest Syria, entire buildings collapsed a the rebel-held region. People were trapped in the rubble, according to the opposition Syrian Civil Defense, which described the situation as “disastrous.”
The earthquake was centered about 20 miles from the provincial capital of Gaziantep, a major city. It originated 11 miles below Earth’s surface and was followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock 10 minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Turkey measured the quake at 7.4, centered in the town of Pazarcik, in the province of Kahramanmaras.
The quake shook buildings as far away as Damascus, sending people running into the streets, and Lebanon, where residents were jolted awake as buildings shook for about 40 seconds.
The Middle East is in the grips of a snowstorm expected to last much of the week.
With News Wire Services
