Due to Continued Strong Earthquakes... Death Toll Reaches 1,800 in Turkey and Syria (Comprehensive)

Victims Surge in Hours
May Increase Further Due to Successive Strong Aftershocks

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] A magnitude 7.8 'historic' earthquake and aftershocks have continued in southern Turkey, with the death toll from the earthquake damage approaching 1,800.

According to major foreign media including AFP on the 6th, the combined death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has been counted at 1,800. More than 1,000 people died in Turkey alone, and about 800 people were reported dead in Syria.

Yuna Sezer, head of Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, stated, "So far, 1,014 people have died and about 7,000 have been injured in 10 regions of Turkey," adding, "2,824 buildings have been reported collapsed." Earlier, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay announced the death toll as 284, but it increased more than threefold within a few hours.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said, "The number of casualties is still increasing, making it difficult to estimate the scale of the damage," and added, "The situation is very difficult due to the cold winter weather and the earthquake occurring at night."

Syria also suffered massive damage. The Syrian Ministry of Health has counted 403 deaths and 1,284 injuries so far. According to the Syrian rebel civilian rescue group 'White Helmets,' at least 380 people died and more than 1,000 were injured in rebel-held areas. AFP reported that combining the figures from both sides, the death toll approaches 800.

Accordingly, the death toll in both Turkey and Syria is estimated to reach 1,800. There are also concerns that the damage could increase further as strong aftershocks continue.

Earlier that day, at 4:17 a.m., a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred about 33 km away from Gaziantep, a city in southern Turkey. The depth of the epicenter was analyzed to be 17.9 km. It is the strongest earthquake recorded in Turkey since December 1939. More than 80 aftershocks occurred on the same day. Among the aftershocks, several strong tremors of magnitude 6 and 7 or higher were detected.