At least 76 people were reported dead and 440 injured in Turkey as per the country's Disaster and Management agency after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale struck near Gaziantep in southern Turkey on Monday, said the US Geological Service, with tremors felt as far away as the island of Cyprus and Egypt, reported AFP.
The quake which hit at 4:17 am (local time) and was at a depth of about 17.9 kilometres, claimed the lives of 111 people in neigbouring Syria as well with several buildings levelled to ground, reported AFP.
Of the 53 people, five people killed in the quake were in the Turkish province of Osmaniye, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported the provincial governor as saying. Governor Erdinc Yilmaz also said that 34 buildings were destroyed in the province.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit by the quake. "We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,” he wrote on Twitter.
Six aftershocks followed later the main shock and he urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.
The epicentre of the quake was located about 33 kilometres from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital, reported Associated Press.
Several Buildings Collapse In Syria, Tremors Felt In Lebanon
At least 42 people were reported dead in Syria while several buliding collapsed in the northern city of Alleppo and central city of Hama. Many people went down the streets after bulidings shook in Damascus, reported AP.
The tremors were also felt in Lebanon from beds, shaking buildings for about 40 seconds. Many residents of Beirut left their homes and took to the streets or drove in their cars away from buildings.