Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended condolences and sympathies to President Erdogan and the people of Turkey on the loss of precious lives.
“Deeply saddened by the news of a massive earthquake that struck southeastern region of Türkiye,” the premier said in a tweet and added, “I send my profound condolences & most sincere sympathies to my brother President Erdogan & brotherly people of Türkiye on the loss of precious lives & damage to infrastructure.”
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A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing dozens, levelling buildings while people were still in their sleep, and sending tremors that were felt as far away as the island of Cyprus.
The quake struck at 04:17am local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometres (11 miles), the US agency said, with a 6.7-magnitude aftershock striking 15 minutes later.
Turkey’s AFAD emergencies service centre put the first quake’s magnitude at 7.4.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) says initial reports from quake-hit areas in the country’s southeast indicate that at least 76 people have died.
In a statement carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency, AFAD listed the affected regions so far as Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay and Kilis.
It said an additional 440 people were reported injured.
The organisation has also declared a “level 4 alarm” and called for international help.
It said 42 aftershocks were recorded following Monday’s quake.
More than 100 people have been killed in government-held parts of Syria, the Syrian health ministry said in a statement.
“At least 516 injuries and 111 deaths recorded in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus,” the ministry said in a statement.
