A powerful earthquake has occurred in the south-east of Turkey (updated)
In the Pazarcik district of the Kahramanmarash province, located in the south-east of Turkey, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 occurred, the Anadolu agency reports, referring to the message of the Office for the Prevention and Elimination of Consequences of Emergency Situations (AFAD).
Update: according to available data, 284 people died as a result of the disaster, at least 2.3 thousand were injured. The highest alert level has been declared in the country.
The earthquake destroyed the historical fortress in the city of Gaziantep, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Turkish authorities have asked for international assistance. In turn, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic sent two planes to the disaster zone in order to transport rescue teams.
The earthquake occurred in the morning at 04:17 local time. As of 06:30, 42 aftershocks were recorded after it; the magnitude of the strongest of them was 6.6 points. The tremors were felt in the provinces of Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Malatya and Adana.
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