Earthquake sparks panic in Turkey: deaths reported plus collapse of houses and buildings | International

In the images broadcast by Turkish agencies and chains, collapsed buildings were seen. The earthquake was also felt in neighboring countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Georgia.

southeast of Turkey was shaken in the early hours of this Monday by an earthquake of magnitude 7.4 degreeswhich might be felt in many cities, local authorities reported.

Preliminary data detailed from at least five people dead. The figure must be confirmed with the passing of the hours. Before the collapse of houses and buildings several people were trapped.

The epicenter of the strong tremor, which lasted regarding 30 seconds at around 4:17 a.m. local time (01:17 GMT), was the Kahramanmaras region, some 600 kilometers southeast of Ankara, at a depth of seven kilometers, it said. the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

In the first live images of the Turkish news channels, collapsed buildings and scared people.

Minutes later another earthquake was registered, with a magnitude of 6.4 degrees, as confirmed by the Minister of the Interior, Suleyman Soylu.

Yildirim Kurt, a farmer living near Kahramanmaras, explained to Agencia EFE that the people in the area “is in a panic”.

“We woke up with a strong tremor. Our house did not collapse but everything inside the house has fallen to the ground.”said.

“Our neighbors’ house has collapsed. We have a problem with communications. We are all outside, in the open air. I was able to speak with relatives in nearby towns. They say that many buildings have collapsed there,” Kurt said.

According to the public broadcaster TRT World, the earthquake might also be felt in neighboring countries, such as Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Georgia.