Videos show collapsed buildings and rubble after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed at least 98 in Turkey

People stand in front of a collapsed residential building after an earthquake in Malatya, Turkey February 6, 2023. (Depo Photos via Reuters)

• A 7.8 magnitude earthquake in southern Turkey was felt as far away as Lebanon. 
• The Turkish city of Gaziantep was one of the major areas affected by the quake.
• Videos online show the aftermath of the quake, which could result in a large number of casualties.
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Citizens in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel are sifting through the aftermath of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Monday morning, videos and photos emerging online show. 

According to the USGS, the epicenter of the earthquake was in southern Turkey, 32 km away from the city of Gaziantep.

The Governor of the Gaziantep province wrote on Twitter that the quake was “felt strongly” in the region. The earthquake was followed by a 6.7 aftershock 11 minutes later.

So far, that 86 people have died in Syria, Al Jazeera reported, while the death toll reported in Turkey is 12, Governor Salih Ayhan of the Sanliurfa province told CNN Turk. 

Men search under the rubble at the site of a collapsed building, following an earthquake, in Hama, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on February 6, 2023. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)

“Only three earthquakes of magnitude 6 or larger have occurred within 250 km of the February 6 earthquake since 1970,” a tectonic summary from the USGS noted. 

—BNO News Live (@BNODesk) February 6, 2023

Syria’s Civil Defense reported that “several residential buildings” collapsed and resulted in people being trapped under the rubble.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that all “relevant units” were being dispatched to help people trapped under buildings.

“I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaras and was felt in many parts of our country,” Erdogan wrote. 

As a result of the quake, Italy’s Department of Civil Protection also issued a Tsunami alert warning citizens to move away from coastal areas.