Turkey hit with 7.8 Magnitude earthquake, Many buildings destroyed

Istanbul: A powerful earthquake of 7.8-magnitude hits near Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey on Monday morning.

According to the US Geological Service, the quake struck at 04:17 am local time (0117 GMT) and was centered about 17.9 kilometres (11 miles).

The government’s disaster management agency AFAD has reported the quake’s magnitude was at 7.4.

USGS reported another shallow 6.7-magnitude quake occurring near the site of the first about 15 minutes later. As per US Geological Survey, the quake was centred about 33 kilometres (20 miles) from Gaziantep, which is a major key industrial and manufacturing hubs and provincial capital. It was about 26 kilometres (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi.

The tremors were felt in Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus, said reports.

No deaths or injuries are yet to be reported by the authorities. However, the videos shared on the social media platforms shows the devastation caused by the earthquake. The videos and pictures posted shows many destroyed buildings in several cities.