Historic Turkey Earthquake... Nearly 500 Deaths Reported in Syria (Comprehensive)

Building Condition Fragile Due to Prolonged Civil War
Worsened by Record-Breaking Earthquake

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] A massive earthquake in southeastern T?rkiye (formerly Turkey) has resulted in numerous casualties. In Syria alone, the death toll is approaching 500, with injuries reaching four digits.

According to major foreign media on the 6th (local time), the Syrian Ministry of Health has reported that the earthquake has caused 326 deaths and 1,042 injuries so far. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held an emergency meeting on the same day, ordering all measures to manage the earthquake damage. The Syrian Ministry of Defense also deployed emergency rescue forces to the site.

In Idlib Province, controlled by rebel forces, multiple deaths have also been reported. The rebel-affiliated civilian rescue group "White Helmets" tweeted that at least 147 people have died and 3,490 have been injured in the area. Combining the Syrian government and rebel figures, the death toll reaches 473, nearing 500.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a civil war monitoring organization, reported that damage was concentrated in northwestern Syria, with at least 58 villages severely affected. Their initial tally confirmed 390 deaths across both government and rebel-controlled areas, and they expect the casualty count to rise further.

Foreign media reported that buildings already damaged by the prolonged civil war easily collapsed due to the earthquake, and rescue operations to find survivors are ongoing. AFP news agency noted that in Aleppo, the commercial center of northwestern Syria, buildings have frequently collapsed in the past. They pointed out that over a decade of civil war has left infrastructure deteriorated and government oversight lax, resulting in many poorly constructed buildings.

Earlier, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred around 4:17 a.m. near the inland area about 33 km from Gaziantep, a city in southern T?rkiye. Raed Ahmed, head of the Syrian National Earthquake Center, told local media, "This is the strongest earthquake since the center was established in 1995."

[Image source=Yonhap News]