Monsurat
Officials have reported that more than 5,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured in what was described as the strongest earthquake to hit Turkey and Syria in more than 100 years.
The earthquake which hit the region on Monday was reportedly a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. Thousands of buildings collapsed in the old city of Aleppo, Syria and southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir.
Rescuers are working to save survivors from the rubble and countries have deployed teams to assist in the efforts. Report says the death toll is likely to increase as the freezing weather and multiple aftershocks impedes rescue efforts.
A statement by UNESCO said “Significant damage has been noted in the citadel. The western tower of the old city wall has collapsed and several buildings in the souks have been weakened.” In Turkey, UNESCO said it was saddened by the news of the collapse of several buildings at the Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens, a World Heritage site which goes back to ancient Greek and Roman times.
CNN report says according to the Hungarian Ministry of the Interior National Directorate for Disaster Protection, a Hungarian rescue team of 50 people, including five military doctors and two search dogs landed in Adana in southern Turkey overnight and is now headed for the province of Hatay.
In the same report, South Korea plans to offer humanitarian aid worth US$5 million to Turkey and send about 110 disaster relief workers and military personnel to support its search and rescue work, said South Korea’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Tuesday.
The Palestinian International Cooperation Agency (PICA) will deploy 70 Palestinian experts to the region later this week, with two crews including the civil defense, the ministry of health, the Palestinian Red Cross and doctors and engineers.
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