Deadly earthquake in Turkey, Syria kills thousands
- Rescuers are scrambling for survivors after a 7.8-magnitude tremor struck while many were asleep
- Turkey is in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones, and the temblor was felt as far away as Greenland

The most powerful earthquake in nearly a century struck Turkey and Syria early Monday, killing more than 3,000 people in their sleep, levelling buildings and causing tremors felt as far away as Greenland.
The 7.8-magnitude nighttime tremor, followed hours later by a slightly smaller one, wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities in a region filled with millions of people who have fled the civil war in Syria and other conflicts.
The head of Syria’s National Earthquake Centre, Raed Ahmed, called it “the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the centre”.
At least 1,293 people died across Syria, the government and rescuers said. Turkish government officials reported another 1,762 fatalities, putting the combined total at 3,055.
The initial quake was followed by more than 50 aftershocks, including a 7.5-magnitude tremor that jolted the region in the middle of search and rescue work on Monday afternoon.
AFP reporters and witnesses felt the second jolt as far apart as the Turkish capital Ankara and the Iraqi Kurdistan city of Arbil.