February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

By Tara Subramaniam, Rhea Mogul, Adam Renton, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 12:03 AM ET, Tue February 7, 2023

17 Posts

Sort by

1:15 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

White Helmets declare northwestern Syria a disaster zone after quake

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury and Eyad Kourdi

People search through the wreckage of a collapsed building in Azmarin, northwestern Syria, on Monday, February 6. (Ghaith Alsayed/AP)

The White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, on Monday declared the northwest of the country as a "disaster area" following the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit neighboring Turkey, sending tremors across the region.

The group said hundreds of people have been injured and trapped under rubble and dozens have died, but didn't specify exact numbers.

"We call on all local authorities and civil forces to mobilize their cadres, and we recommend all humanitarian, health and relief organizations operating in Syria to share work according to the system of parity and their geographical distribution in order to ensure that the necessary needs are covered as much as possible," the White Helmets said in a statement.

Much of northwestern Syria, which borders Turkey, is controlled by anti-government forces amid a bloody civil war that began in 2011.

According to Syrian State TV, citing the Ministry of Health, the earthquake Monday has killed at least 111 people and injured 516 others in the Syrian regions of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus.

12:45 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

At least 111 people killed, more than 500 injured in Syria after Turkey quake

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury

At least 111 people have died and 516 others were injured in Syria after a strong earthquake hit neighboring southern Turkey early Monday, Syrian State TV reported, citing the Ministry of Health.

The deaths were reported in the regions of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus.

The 7.8 magnitude quake is one of the strongest to hit Turkey in more than 100 years and sent tremors across the region that caused buildings to collapse.

12:35 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Nearly 1,000 search and rescue volunteers deployed from Istanbul to earthquake zone

From CNN's Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul

Rescue workers search through debris in Kahramanmaras, Turkey on Monday. (Eren Bozkurt/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Nearly 1,000 search and rescue volunteers have been deployed from Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, to the south of the country following the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck early Monday.

"80 AFAD (emergency disaster agency) officers, 27 accredited municipalities and NGOs, 968 Search and Rescue volunteers, 4 K9 dogs, 2 trucks and aid materials have been sent to the area impacted by earthquake," Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya wrote on Twitter.
"Sorry for our loss. I wish our injured a speedy recovery."

At least 118 people were killed in Turkey and Syria after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets.

Turkey's disaster agency has appealed for help from the international community as it conducts search and rescue operations.

12:20 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

At least 118 dead in Turkey and Syria following powerful quake

Rescue workers search the rubble of a collapsed building in Azaz, Syria, on February 6. (Bakr Alkasem/AFP/Getty Images)

At least 118 people were killed in two countries after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets.

At least 76 people died and more than 440 were injured in Turkey, according to the country's disaster management agency. In neighboring Syria, at least 42 people died and around 200 more were injured, Syrian state run-news agency SANA reported, citing a Health Ministry official.

In Syria, the deaths were reported in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA said.

The "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also said there were dozens of victims and hundreds trapped under the rubble in the opposition-controlled Idlib region.

The quake struck while residents were likely asleep and unprepared for the impact. Video shared on social media shows dozens of collapsed buildings, while frightened residents huddled on the darkened streets amid the chaos.

12:06 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Shaking from quake could be felt as far away as Lebanon, CNN meteorologist says

The deadly powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkey early on Monday could be felt up to 300 kilometers away (186 miles), according to a CNN meteorologist.

Dozens of people have been killed in Turkey and neighboring Syria after the 7.8 quake struck; it's tied as the strongest the country has experienced in more than 100 years of records.

CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said shaking from the quake could be felt as far away as Lebanon, hundreds of kilometers away.

"All the way down to Lebanon, it was around a 4 to a 4.5 is the equivalency of the magnitude of shaking they felt," he said. "Northern Syria, in Aleppo they felt shaking equivalent to between a 6 and a 6.5 magnitude earthquake."

Turkish officials say at least 76 people were killed. In Syria, at least 42 people have died and 200 others were injured after buildings collapsed, Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported.

"A quake of this magnitude and in this part of the world, the shaking goes on for a long way. As you get closer to that epicenter, the shaking is greater," Miller added.

12:30 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

At least 76 dead in Turkey after major earthquake

A building in Diyarbakir, Turkey is damaged following an earthquake on February 6. (Omer Yasin Ergin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

At least 76 people have been killed in Turkey after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, according to Turkish officials.

The country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said another 440 people have been injured, with search and rescue efforts ongoing.

"All provincial AFAD Directorates were put on alert and all teams, especially search and rescue, were sent to the region," AFAD said.

The agency has appealed for help from the international community for its search and rescue operation.

12:31 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

The deadly quake is one of the most powerful to hit Turkey in the past 100 years

Damage and debris are seen in Adana, Turkey on February 6. (Omer Yildiz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday is tied as the strongest the country has experienced in more than 100 years of records, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS said an equally powerful 7.8 magnitude quake that hit eastern Turkey in 1939 resulted in more than 30,000 deaths.

Karl Lang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech University's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, told CNN the area hit by the quake Monday is prone to seismic activity.

"It's a seismogenic area. It's a very large fault zone, but this is a larger earthquake than they've experienced any time in recent memory," Lang said.
"The magnitude of shaking that is felt on the surface is both a function of the amount of energy released, the size of the earthquake, but also how far that energy is released below the surface. So if it is very close to the surface, if it is a shallow earthquake, then it can be very dangerous."

Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring per year anywhere in the world, on average.

"What's really unusual here is that it's a very large earthquake that is also close to the surface," Lang said.

Some context: Turkey is no stranger to strong earthquakes; seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck the country in the past 25 years — but Monday's is the most powerful. It is also the strongest quake to hit anywhere in the world since an 8.1 magnitude quake struck a remote region near the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean in 2021, resulting in no damage.

11:17 p.m. ET, February 5, 2023

At least 42 dead, 200 injured in Syria after earthquake and aftershocks

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury

At least 42 people have died and 200 others were injured in Syria after a strong earthquake hit southern Turkey early Monday, Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported, citing a Health Ministry official.

The deaths have been reported in the regions of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA said.

Multiple buildings collapsed in Syria after the earthquake struck neighboring southern Turkey early on Monday, SANA said.

The "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also said there have been dozens of victims and hundreds trapped under the rubble in the opposition-controlled Idlib region.

11:13 p.m. ET, February 5, 2023

Turkey's disaster agency calls for help from international community after deadly quake

From CNN's Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) on Monday called on the international community for help after a powerful deadly quake hit the south of the country.

AFAD said in a statement it needed international help "in the field of urban search and rescue."

The quake occurred at 4:17 a.m. local time and was followed by 32 aftershocks, the statement said.

The provinces that felt the quake "intensely" across Turkey were Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Adana, AFAD said.