The tremors were the strongest in nearly 30 years, the country’s seismology chief has said
The death toll from the earthquake in northwestern Syria has risen to 237 people, SANA state news agency reported on Monday, citing the Health Ministry. It said that at least 639 people were injured, and the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus were affected the most.
Dr. Raed Ahmed, the director general of the Syrian National Seismology Center, was quoted by SANA news agency as saying that the earthquake was the strongest since recordings began in 1995.
Syrian Assistant Health Minister Ahmad Dumeira told SANA that all hospitals were mobilized to treat the victims, and additional ambulances and rescue teams were dispatched to areas hit by the disaster.
Across the border, Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported that a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the southern part of the country at around 4:17am on Monday. The epicenter was recorded in the Pazarcik district of the Kahramanmaras Province. According to the Turkish authorities, at least 76 people were killed and 440 injured.
