Rescue efforts underway after Turkey quake near Syrian border

An earthquake measuring a preliminary 7.8 magnitude has hit southern Turkey near the Syrian border, the US Geological Service has said, collapsing buildings and sending shockwaves across northwestern Syria, Cyprus and Lebanon.

The earthquake struck at 4.17am local time (01:17 GMT) on Monday at a depth of about 17.9km (11 miles), the USGS said.

“Extensive damage is probable,” it said.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) put the magnitude of the quake at 7.4 near the cities of Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border. It lasted for about a minute.

USGS reported another shallow magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurring near the site of the first tremor about 15 minutes later.

At least 10 people were killed, two local Turkish officials said, as videos posted on social media showed destroyed buildings in several cities in the southeast of the country.

Broadcasters TRT and Haberturk showed images of people gathered around wrecked buildings in the town of Kahramanmaras, seeking survivors.

Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, who is in Istanbul, said the quake was felt across Turkey from the southern cities as far north as the Black Sea. She said cities such as Gaziantep were crowded, not only with Turkish citizens but Syrian refugees.

“Some international help might be necessary,” she said.

The governor of Turkey’s southeastern province of Sanliurfa province, Salih Ayhan, said on Twitter, “we have destroyed buildings” and urged people to move to safe locations.

Turkey is in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.

There were also reports of damage in northern Syria.