Earthquake of magnitude 7.8 hits Turkey, over 90 dead several injured

A strong earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Turkey's Gaziantep city near the country's border with Syria, authorities said.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the temblor occurred at 4.17 a.m local time. at a depth of 17.9 km.

At least 10 cities were affected: Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis. The tremor was also felt in Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus. The authorities have said that a number of buildings in Gaziantep have collapsed, and some people may be trapped.

Rescue workers and residents frantically searched for survivors under the rubble of crushed buildings in multiple cities on both sides of the border.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the quake. There were at least 6 aftershocks, and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks.

At least 195 people were killed in both countries, hundreds were injured and the toll is expected to rise.