Turkey earthquake – live: Death toll crosses 600 in Turkey and Syria as thousands injured

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey at 4.17am local time on Monday in the southeastern area near the Syrian border, according to the US Geological Survey.

The map shows the epicentre of the quake was near the city of Gaziantep at a depth of 17.9km, impacting around seven provinces in Turkey and a large area in northern Syria.

More details:

More than 600 people have been confirmed dead as officials continue to update the tally after the devastating earthquake hit Turkey and Syria this morning.

With hundreds injured, the death toll of 641 is expected to rise as rescue workers search through rubble in cities and towns across the area.

Turkey’s maritime authority said today that the Iskenderun port located in the southern Turkish province of Hatay is damaged due to the major earthquake.

Following its damage inspections, the authority said on Twitter that operations continue in ports besides Iskenderun.

No damage has been reported to the under-construction Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey, RIA has reported quoting Rosatom.

Earlier checks were being carried out at the construction site.

The British prime minister Rishi Sunak has said that the UK is ready to offer assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake that has killed over 500 people in Turkey and Syria.

“My thoughts are with the people of Turkey and Syria this morning, particularly with those first responders working so valiantly to save those trapped by the earthquake” he tweeted.

“The UK stands ready to help in whatever way we can.”

Announcing that the death toll has risen to 284 from the earthquake, the country’s vice president Fuat Oktay has issued state-wise figures speaking at a news conference a while ago.

Mr Oktay said 70 people were killed in the province of Kahramanmaras, where the quake epicentre was located, along with 20 people in Osmaniye, 18 in Sanliurfa, 14 in Diyarbakir and 13 in Adiyaman.

Officials were in the process of identifying more victims as rescuers continue to scramble through mountains of debris in seven impacted provinces.

The earthquake has left 2,323 people injured with the death toll feared to rise further

Russia’s defence ministry said that its military facilities had not been damaged by the major earthquake that struck central Turkey and northwest Syria, Reuters reports.

Russia, which is closely allied with the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, maintains a significant military presence in the country.

Turkey’s vice president Fuat Oktay said 284 people had been killed and 2,323 people were injured in the country, as authorities scrambled rescue teams and supply aircraft to the affected area, while declaring a “level 4 alarm” that calls for international assistance.

In Syria, a government health official said more than 237 people had been killed and some 600 injured, most in the provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia, already devastated by more than 11 years of civil war, where numerous buildings tumbled down.

In the Syrian rebel-held northwest, a rescue service said dozens had been killed.

The toll now stands at at least 500 confirmed deaths with fears the number of casualties can rise further.