Earthquake kills over 4,000 in Turkey and Syria

ANKARA/DAMASCUS, Feb. 7: More than 4,000 people were killed and tens of thousands injured after strong earthquakes jolted parts of Turkey and neighboring Syria early Monday, as rescue teams are battling harsh winter conditions to search for survivors.
In Turkey, at least 2,921 people were killed and 15,834 others were injured in the earthquakes, the country's Anadolu agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
In neighboring Syria, at least 711 were killed and 1,431 injured in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus, said the Syrian Health Ministry. Media reports also cited rescue workers as saying that 733 were killed and over 2,100 injured in the rebel-held region in Syria.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Turkey's southern province of Kahramanmaras at 4:17 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) on Monday, followed by at least 78 aftershocks. The quakes were also felt in Lebanon, Israel, and Cyprus.