Tremor measured at 7.8 magnitude was also felt in Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus causing buildings to collapse.
A preliminary magnitude 7.8 earthquake has hit southern Turkey near the Syrian border, the US Geological Service has said, and was also felt in Cyprus, Lebanon and Syria.
The earthquake struck at 4.17am local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9km (11 miles), the USGS said.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) put the magnitude of the quake at 7.4 near the cities of Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border.
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USGS reported another shallow magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurring near the site of the first tremor about 15 minutes later.
Turkish authorities have not yet reported any deaths or injuries, but videos posted on social media showed destroyed buildings in several cities in the southeast of the country.
Broadcasters TRT and Haberturk showed images of people gathered around wrecked buildings in the town of Kahramanmaras, seeking survivors.
The governor of Turkey’s southeastern province of Sanliurfa province, Salih Ayhan, said on Twitter, “we have destroyed buildings” and urged people to move to safe locations.
Turkey is in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.
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More to come…
