A magnitude 7.7 earthquake centered in the Pazarcık district of Türkiye's Kahramanmaraş struck at 4.17 a.m. local time (1:17 a.m. GMT) at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles), killing over 1,500 people and injuring over 9,000.
Officials said the quake cost the most lives in the provinces of Malatya, Şanlıurfa, Osmaniye and Diyarbakır, although the toll threatened to climb much higher because of the heavy damage. According to the country's disaster agency, the strong earthquake originated in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş. Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said.
It was followed by a magnitude 6.4 quake that struck southeastern Gaziantep province. A third earthquake with a 6.5 magnitude also hit Gaziantep. The initial earthquake was also felt in other southeastern provinces, including Diyarbakır, and neighboring countries including Lebanon and Syria.
At least 66 aftershocks jolted southeastern Türkiye and the surrounding region following the deadly magnitude 7.7 earthquake, according to the country's AFAD. The earthquake leveled buildings while many were still asleep and sent tremors that were felt as far away as the island of Cyprus and Egypt. Emergency service officials in Türkiye put the initial death toll at 76, which then climbed substantially higher because the night-time disaster had flattened dozens of apartment blocks across major cities.
At least 476 people were killed in government-controlled parts of Syria, as well as the northern areas held by pro-Turkish factions, according to state media and a local hospital. Television images showed shocked people in Türkiye standing in the snow in their pajamas, watching rescuers dig through the debris of damaged homes.
Nationwide Help
Neighboring provinces, including fire departments and search and rescue teams from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the surrounding district municipalities hastened to the earthquake zone in a show of solidarity. Search and rescue teams gathered at Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport, initiating their expeditious deployment to earthquake-affected areas via scheduled flights.
Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya expressed his heartfelt condolences following the earthquake, expressing: "We were at the AFAD right after the tragedy, with 80 AFAD officers, 27 accredited municipalities and NGOs, 968 search and rescue volunteers, four K9 dogs, two trucks and aid materials setting out from Istanbul to the earthquake zone in the first place. Our deepest sympathies go out to those affected, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured."
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu declared that, in close collaboration with the AFAD, a total of 260 personnel, including 200 Fire Brigade personnel and two search and rescue vehicles have been dispatched to the earthquake zone.
Additionally, a food truck, Hamidiye Water and Halk Ekmek trucks have been mobilized, along with necessary materials such as stoves and blankets. On the other hand, in response to the emergency situation, a convoy of six vehicles and 22 personnel from the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) were dispatched from Bingöl to Kahramanmaraş.
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş was also felt in Bingöl as well as a tremor. While no harm or damage to property was sustained in Bingöl in the earthquake, 112 medical teams from the AFAD and UMKE consisting of six vehicles and 22 personnel were immediately dispatched to Pazarcık; subsequently, the quake caused extensive destruction to buildings in 10 provinces. Düzce has also sent 16 health personnel, two ambulances and two UMKE vehicles in the early hours of the morning.
Antalya has also pitched in by sending 452 personnel to help the people in the earthquake zone. At the behest of the Antalya Governor's Office, a comprehensive medical deployment was dispatched to the region, comprising 39 medical personnel, 11 medical vehicles, two commando companies of 82 personnel, a 10-member JAK team, 75 AFAD personnel, five rescue vehicles, one bus and 164 security personnel. The AFAD Mobile Coordination Truck, equipped with eight personnel, four vehicles, two debris search and rescue and one cadaver dog from Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality Fire Brigade Department, has been dispatched to the earthquake-stricken region.
Sakarya Mayor Ekrem Yüce took to his social media account to express his solidarity with those affected, saying: "In light of the recent earthquake that has caused devastation in Kahramanmaraş and other cities, we are sending our emergency rescue teams to assist our brothers and sisters in the region. May they all make a speedy recovery."
Cengiz Çavuş, the provincial disaster and emergency manager, along with eight personnel, two vehicles, three ambulances, three UMKE vehicles and nine personnel, set out from Bolu to bolster the search and rescue endeavors. Additionally, two containers loaded with accommodation tents and heating systems, as well as health personnel to partake in the operations, were dispatched to the region.
In Zonguldak, 80 members of the Turkish Hard Coal Institution rescue team, 10 from the AFAD, 10 from Ereğli Municipality, five from the Ereğli Firefighters Nature Sports Search and Rescue Association (ERİDAK) and 28 from the UMKE traveled to the provinces hit by the earthquake to provide assistance. The Karabük AFAD Provincial Directorate dispatched eight personnel and 12 vehicles, including two ambulances, one UMKE vehicle and one UMKE logistics vehicle, to the affected areas.
Additionally, the Provincial Health Directorate sent 12 personnel and a Gendarmerie Search and Rescue team consisting of two vehicles and seven personnel, as well as one rescue vehicle and eight personnel. Bartın has sent a UMKE team, two ambulances and 10 personnel, as well as two vehicles and a team of 10 personnel from the AFAD Provincial Directorate.
At the directive of Metropolitan Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, seven vehicles, 30 personnel and a Mobile Disaster Truck from Kocaeli have been dispatched to provide aid and assistance to those affected by the devastating earthquake. On his social media account, the mayor expressed his sincere wishes for the speedy recovery of the victims and said: "We have mobilized our teams and are committed to serving the earthquake-stricken area with all the means at our disposal. May the Almighty protect our beloved nation."
The Turkish Red Crescent, which took action immediately after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, coordinated its staff and volunteers. It also sent a mobile kitchen and catering vehicles to the region, dispatched tents and blankets to earthquake zones and started to deliver blood against urgent needs.
The Turkish Red Crescent also set up a crisis desk in the Disaster Operation Center and the AFAD continues its plans for the tasks that may come from the coordination center established in Türkiye. Under the coordination of the Red Crescent Disaster Operation Center, expert teams from the Adana Disaster Response Center, the Ankara Disaster Response Center, the Düzce Disaster Response Center, the Izmir Disaster Response Center, the Elaziğ Disaster Response Center, the Erzurum Disaster Response Center, the Kırklareli Disaster Response Center, the Muş Disaster Response Center and Turkish Red Crescent branches moved to the area.
Turkish Red Crescent President Kerem Kınık, who set out for Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş after the great earthquake, called on the citizens and warned them not to enter the damaged houses. He repeated his call to be organized for the transportation of search and rescue and medical teams.
Turkish Red Crescent General Manager İbrahim Altan also took action for the region to coordinate the works in Kahramanmaraş on site.
Stating that additional blood and blood products are being sent to hospitals for the injured, Kınık said: "We have national blood stocks for the first stage shipment in our regional blood banks. However, for additional needs that may arise in the future, we invite our citizens to donate blood throughout Türkiye, he emphasized.
Kınık stated that all the mechanisms of the state have started to mobilize for disasters. "We are mobilizing all the shelter, food, nutrition and blood services capacity of the Red Crescent to the region. All of our local branches and neighboring branches are in the field to support search and rescue efforts. Our soup kitchens are open. Our mobile trucks are transferred to the field, our tents are loaded. More than 240 staff and hundreds of volunteers are in the field. Immediately after the earthquake, the Red Crescent teams were transferred to the region. Red Crescent mobilized all its means to support our citizens affected by the earthquake and spent the night outside," he said.
The Red Crescent commissioned 75 catering vehicles and five mobile kitchen trucks to provide nutrition services in the provinces affected by the earthquake. In addition, it continues to distribute hot meals, treats, soups, hot/cold beverages and water. The Red Crescent is putting in great efforts to prevent the citizens from being affected by the cold and continues to ship blankets, tents and beds.
Hours later, a second earthquake occurred in another district of Kahramanmaraş with a 7.6 magnitude, the AFAD said Monday. The agency said the earthquake took place at 1:24 p.m. local time and was centered in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş. Rescue teams flocked to the area.
According to preliminary reports, the last earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 in Kahramanmaraş was felt in the northwestern province of Sakarya, which is over 900 kilometers from the epicenter, and in the capital Ankara, as well as in many other provinces. Citizens who felt the earthquake fled to the streets. Strong tremors were reported in Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, and Diyarbakir in the buildings that were already damaged by the 7.7 quake early in the morning.
The earthquake was felt in Kayseri as well, in a district some 240 kilometers away from epicenter Elbistan. Some buildings were damaged in the province while a 13-story building was evacuated due to heavy damage in the Kocasinan district. A hospital next to the evacuated building was also evacuated as a precaution.
Following the major tremor in the afternoon, the AFAD reported that there was no tsunami danger in the Eastern Mediterranean after the earthquakes.
Poor weather conditions and rain are said to be making rescue efforts difficult at the moment, local officials said, while at least 15 survivors have been pulled from the rubble, giving rescuers hope in their search.
During the rescue operations, 15 people including children were rescued from the debris of the destroyed buildings in Gaziantep, Malatya and Kilis, which were affected by the earthquake centered in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş. The rescue teams pulled some people out of the wreckage of a four-story building on Gaziantep's Gazi Muhtar Boulevard, while six people were rescued from the demolished three-story building on Yeni Ocak Street in Kilis's Yavuz Sultan district.
Meanwhile, one person was rescued from the destroyed apartment building in Malatya's Zafer Mahallesi. Three more people, one of whom is disabled, were rescued from the debris of the eight-story building in Diyarbakır's Bağlar district.
While four more people were rescued from the 14-story building in Adana, rescue efforts are continuing but heavy rain and snow showers are negatively affecting the search operations.
Several of the country's ministers were dispatched to the affected districts, including Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişci to Hatay, Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca, Minister of Youth and Sports Osmaniye Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ to Diyarbakır, Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati to Şanlıurfa, Minister of Climate Murat Kurum to Antep and Kilis, Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık to Adana, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez to Malatya and Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
"From the very first moment, they were responding to the crisis. At the same time, we are struggling with extremely severe weather conditions. Departure started as quickly as possible within the framework of the weather conditions. Most of our ministers are on the field," Oktay said.
"Nearly 300 buildings were destroyed, giant rock pieces fell on the road and many cracks were formed on the road, according to the information received from AFAD," Oktay said.
A runway at Hatay Airport split in half and flights were immediately halted after the earthquake severely damaged the airport.
While some bastions in the east, south and southeast parts of the historical Gaziantep Castle in the central Şahinbey district were destroyed by the earthquake, the debris was scattered on the road. The iron railings around the court were scattered on the surrounding sidewalks. The retaining wall next to the castle also collapsed. In some bastions, large cracks were observed after the earthquake. On the other hand, the dome and eastern wall of the historical Şirvani Mosque, next to the castle, said to have been built in the 17th century, partially collapsed.
