The number of victims is rising enormously: at least 170 dead after earthquakes in Turkey and Syria This Ukrainian start-up detects Russian cruise missiles

At least 170 people were killed in the strong earthquake in the Turkish-Syrian border area. At least 76 people have been killed in Turkey, state news agency Anadolu reported on Monday, citing the civil protection agency Afad. At least 440 people were injured.

At least 99 people have died in Syria, state television reported, citing the health ministry.

An earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck southeastern Turkey early Monday morning. The civil protection agency Afad said the epicenter was in Kahramanmaras province near the Syrian border. Shortly afterwards, another magnitude 6.6 earthquake was measured in Gaziantep province. The Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam had previously reported earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.4 and 7.9. According to official information, the earthquake was also felt in Israel.

Buildings have collapsed in numerous cities in Syria, Sana said. Photos showed rescue teams carrying people away on stretchers. According to Sana, the head of the National Earthquake Center Raed Ahmed, it was the strongest earthquake in Syria since 1995. The rescue organization Weisshelme spoke of dozens of deaths. “We are responding with everything we can to rescue those trapped under the rubble,” said the group’s leader, Raed Al Saleh. “The situation is very tragic,” said one member of the group.

According to the interior minister, several provinces in Turkey have been affected. buildings had collapsed. Rescue teams from all over the country would be brought together. In addition, alert level four was declared and international help was called for. There were a total of 22 aftershocks, some strong.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter: “We hope that together we can get through this disaster in the shortest possible time and with the least damage possible.”

Turkey is repeatedly hit by strong earthquakes. Two of the largest continental plates meet there: the African and the Eurasian. In fact, most of the Turkish population lives in constant danger from earthquakes.

In October 2020, more than 100 people died in Izmir in one of the strongest earthquakes in recent years. In 1999 Turkey was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in its history: a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in the region around the northwestern industrial city of Izmit claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people. Experts also expect a strong earthquake in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, in the near future. (sda/dpa)