The series of powerful earthquakes that have shaken the border area between Turkey and Syria has left at least 2,349 dead and almost 11,000 injured in the two countries, and has demolished thousands of buildings. At least 1,498 people have died and another 8,533 have been injured in Turkey, according to the emergency service of this country, Afad.
The earthquake has caused the destruction of a historic Roman castle in Gaziantep, which had been standing for more than 1,700 years and which has been devastated by the tremor. Damage has also been historic Citadel Of Aleppo, in Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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In Syria, embroiled in more than a decade of civil war, the affected area is divided between territory controlled by Bashar al-Assad’s government and the last opposition-controlled enclave of the country, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. So, the quake has left at least 461 dead and 1,326 injured in Damascus-held areas in the northwestern provinces of Tartus, Latakia, Hama and Aleppo, according to the official news agency SANA. On the other hand, in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last opposition stronghold in the country, and in Other parts of neighboring Aleppo that are also beyond Damascus control have reported another 390 fatalities and about a thousand injured, according to the White Helmets rescue group.
The epicenter was found in Pazarcik in Kahramanmaras province, according to the Turkish emergency service Afad, although the Kandilli seismic observatory places it at sofaliciin the neighboring province of Gaziantep, about 40 kilometers further south. The Turkish authorities have announced the closure of schools in the ten most affected provinces and all sports competitions have also been suspended.