The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria surged to 3,400 people on Monday afternoon.
Over 13,000 people have reportedly been injured.
- The epicenter was near Gaziantep, a major Turkish city near the border with Syria.
- The death toll includes 2,316 people in Turkey and 1,136 people in Syria.
- The death toll has increased rapidly since the tremor struck in the early hours of Monday and is expected to continue growing.
- Many
of the deaths in Syria occurred in areas controlled by armed rebels who
have been fighting the government for over a decade.
- Before
the quake struck, more than four million people in these areas relied on
humanitarian assistance, the United Nations said.
- After the earthquake hit, there were more than 60 aftershocks, including a 7.5-magnitude tremor.
- Search and rescue missions are ongoing in several cities in Turkey and Syria.
- Several countries have offered to send help:
- The EU will send search and rescue teams to Turkey.
- Greece plans
to send a C-130 transport aircraft to Turkey alongside a disaster
management unit, as well as medics and rescue dogs.
- U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his condolences and directed USAID to provide help.
