A Vicious Earthquake brings death to near a 4000…

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, killing hundreds of people as buildings collapsed across the snowy region, triggering a search for survivors trapped in rubble.

The quake, which hit in the early darkness of a winter morning, was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.

“I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I’ve lived,” said Erdem, a resident of the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the quake’s epicentre, who declined to give his surname.

We were shaken at least three times very strongly, like a baby in a crib.”

As officials dispatched rescue teams and supply aircraft to the devastated area and declared a “level 4 alarm” that requests international assistance, Turkey’s disaster agency reported 76 fatalities and 440 injuries.

The majority of the fatalities and injuries, according to Syrian official media, occurred in the provinces of Hama, Aleppo, and Latakia, where large structures had been torn down.

 The United States was “profoundly concerned” about the quake in Turkey and Syria and was monitoring events closely, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter.

I have been in touch with Turkish officials to relay that we stand ready to provide any and all needed assistance,” he said.

The region straddles seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes.

 – Reuters –