Stunning video has emerged from Turkey showing the destruction wrought by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked the country early Monday.
Footage shared by The New York Times from Sanliurfa, Turkey, shows what appears to be a residential building collapsing into pure rubble in a matter of seconds as the earthquake hits. Another clip from Malatya, Turkey, shows a building of at least seven stories completely crater.
More than 1,600 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria, where two powerful earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks collapsed thousands of buildings. The death toll is likely to keep rising.https://t.co/AyB8HNjZkf pic.twitter.com/NsqGZmBNkE
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 6, 2023
At least 3,000 buildings in Turkey alone collapsed as a result of the earthquake, according to The NYT. The current death toll in Turkey and Syria, which was also affected, is reportedly more than 2,100 and rising.
this is scary!!! pray for Turkey 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/FpaDFsYEwv
— Malik Ofori (@malikofori) February 6, 2023
The initial 7.8 magnitude blast was followed by powerful aftershocks hours later. Rescue crews are currently working to remove stranded individuals from the rubble of buildings. The earthquake is the region’s most powerful since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. (RELATED: Americans In Turkey Warned Of Possible ‘Retaliatory’ Terror Attacks After Koran Burning)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “deep sadness at the tragic loss of life and destruction” in the two countries in a statement Monday, and said that U.S.-backed humanitarian assistance is already underway in Syria and that a response in Turkey is in progress as well.