New Delhi: A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey early Monday (February 6, 2023), toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,000 people. The quake centered north of the Turkish provincial capital of Gaziantep and major aftershocks continued to rattle the region. More than 1,000 people have so far been declared dead in 10 Turkish provinces, with some 7,000 injured, according to the country's disaster management agency.


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Several buildings have been reduced to piles of pancaked floors with hundreds still believed to be trapped under rubble. The toll is likely to increase as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.


The region, notably, sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in a similarly powerful earthquake that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.


Meanwhile, a video on social media shows a building collapsing after a massive earthquake struck a central Turkey city.


Video: Building collapses after massive earthquake struck Turkey




Turkey earthquake: Historic Gaziantep Castle severely damaged


The strong earthquake also heavily damaged Gaziantep's most famed landmark, its historic castle perched atop a hill in the center of the city.


Online footage showed parts of the fortresses' walls and watch towers were levelled and other parts heavily damaged.



Earthquake in Turkey: Over 2,800 buildings collapsed


Earlier in the day, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that over 2,800 buildings had collapsed in Turkey.


He said he could not predict how much the death toll would rise as search and rescue efforts continued.



"Everyone is putting their heart and soul into efforts although winter season, cold weather, and the earthquake happening during the night makes things more difficult," Erdogan said.