Turkey

At least 59 people were killed in two countries after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, ...

The ramifications of this are broad and will impact this region for weeks, and months.” All our relevant units are on alert under the coordination of AFAD,” Erdogan wrote on Twitter. Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the south of the country, Turkey’s interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, said. About 11 minutes after the main quake hit, the strongest aftershock of 6.7 magnitude hit about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the main quake’s epicenter. Let’s not keep the phones busy,” he said. Many of his neighbors had left their homes following the quake, he said. Karl Lang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech University’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, told CNN the area hit by the quake Monday is prone to seismic activity. Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring each year on average, anywhere in the world. Nurdagi is located along the Turkey-Syria border, and the quake was felt in several countries across the region, including Syria and Lebanon. Monday’s quake is believed to be the strongest to hit Turkey since 1939, when an earthquake of the same magnitude killed 30,000 people, according to the USGS. The quake struck before daybreak on Monday, when residents were likely asleep and unprepared for the impact. Video from Turkey shared on social media showed dozens of collapsed buildings, while frightened residents huddled on the darkened streets amid the chaos.