More than 2,400 dead as two massive earthquakes rock Turkey and Syria

The quake deed an area of Syria's northwest that is divided betwixt government-held territory and nan country’s past remaining rebel-controlled enclave. Turkey is location to millions of refugees from nan conflict.

At slightest 461 group were killed successful government-controlled areas and 1,326 were injured, according to nan country’s wellness ministry. In opposition-held areas, members of nan guidance emergency statement known arsenic nan White Helmets said nan earthquake had killed astatine slightest 450 group and injured 1,000 more.

That takes nan mixed decease toll crossed nan 2 borders to astatine slightest 2,452, pinch fears it whitethorn still emergence substantially.

The U.S. Geological Survey said nan first quake was centered astir 20 miles from Gaziantep, Turkey, a awesome metropolis and provincial capital, erstwhile it struck astatine 4:17 a.m. section clip (8:17 p.m. ET Sunday).

It was centered 11 miles deep, and a beardown 6.7-magnitude aftershock rumbled astir 10 minutes later. At slightest 20 aftershocks followed successful total, immoderate hours later.

A 7.5-magnitude quake past deed astir 100 miles northbound of Gaziantep astatine a extent of conscionable 6 miles aliases truthful astatine 1:24 p.m. section clip (5:24 a.m. ET), according to nan USGS. Shallow earthquakes origin much damage.

In Turkey, nan quake sent buildings crumbling, including sections of nan Gaziantep castle, its astir celebrated landmark and a humanities awesome of nan city.

Footage from section and societal media showed sections of nan ancient castle, which is nestled connected a 6,000-year-old elevation of ruins, that had tumbled down nan hill-side and were near strewn onto adjacent roads.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was nan country’s largest disaster since 1939, adding that thousands of buildings had collapsed successful nan earthquake and aftershocks. 

“We were sleeping, past we collapsed connected nan crushed and erstwhile it stopped we near nan building,” İbrahim Furkan Aydin, 24, told NBC News. He was connected picnic pinch his mother from Istanbul and had arrived successful Gaziantep connected Saturday.