Serious earthquake kills 300 people in Turkey and Syria

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and sending terrified residents swarming outside on a cold winter's night.

  At least 300 people have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise.

According to the Syrian authorities, at least 230 people have been killed, and Turkey has reported at least 76 deaths. Hundreds of buildings collapsed in both countries.

130 buildings collapsed

According to Sky News, the authorities confirmed the collapse of 130 buildings in the city of Malatya as a result of the earthquake in Turkey.

The mayor of the Turkish municipality of Sanliurfa said earlier that 16 buildings collapsed after the earthquake, while a Turkish official said that 17 buildings collapsed in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir after the earthquake.

Israel affected

  The 7.8-magnitude quake was felt in Israel at around 3:20 am, although the Israeli police later stated that no injuries or damages were reported from the quake. Israel was expected to send an emergency aid mission to Turkey.

Rescue workers and residents frantically searched for survivors under the rubble of destroyed buildings in multiple cities on both sides of the border. In one of the quake-stricken Turkish cities, dozens pulled out bits of concrete and twisted metal.

refugee cities

On the Turkish side, the region includes several large cities and is home to millions of Syrian refugees.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that "search and rescue teams were dispatched immediately" to the quake-hit areas.