Turkey earthquake

Turkey and Syria: ‘Death toll likely to rise quickly’ as two huge earthquakes kill 1,900.

•Second earthquake rocks Kahramanmaras region after country records highest magnitude earthquake since 1939, reducing buildings near Gaziantep to rubble – with families crushed in their sleep.

Two massive earthquakes are reported to have killed nearly 2,000 people and wounded many thousands more in Turkey and Syria – with experts warning the death toll was likely to rise sharply.

The magnitude 7.9 tremor struck overnight near the city of Gaziantep, and was felt nearly 1,000km away in Cairo, leaving a huge trail of destruction in Turkey and Syria, where many remained trapped below rubble as a second 7.5 magnitute earthquake then hit just hours later.

Authorities said 1,100 people were killed in 10 Turkish provinces, with more than 430 people declared dead in Syria and at least 380 in the country’s rebel-held northwest.

Natural hazards expert Dr Steven Godby warned that the vulnerability of the population and winter snow could make rescue efforts more difficult, saying: “Unfortunately the death toll is likely to climb quickly.”

“The first 24-48 hours is when most people are normally rescued in this situations, but the cold weather may reduce that time. The challenge is further compounded by the fact that there are already large numbers of displaced people in northern Syria as a result of the civil war.”