At least 912 people were killed and 5,385 others injured in 10 provinces after a strong earthquake jolted southern Türkiye on Monday morning, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Describing the earthquake as the "biggest disaster" since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, Erdogan said: "So far, 912 citizens have lost their lives and 5,385 else wounded."
Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (0117GMT) and was centered in the Pazarcik district in Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaras. The quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles).
AFAD said in a statement that 78 aftershocks occurred following the earthquake.
Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces are heavily affected by the quake.
The president talked to the mayors of Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis on the phone and received information about the search and rescue activities, according to the Turkish presidency.
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"The number of people rescued from the rubbles has reached 2,470. The number of buildings that collapsed is 2,818," Erdogan said.
Vice President Fuat Oktay said at a news conference that Erdogan has been following and managing the event since the moment of the earthquake.
Erdogan is currently at the AFAD office in the capital Ankara to coordinate the rescue and relief works.
Oktay added that Hatay Airport is currently closed to flights, saying they have also closed Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep to civil flights.
"102 mobile base stations have been sent to the earthquake zones so far," Oktay said.
He also called on all media organizations, institutions, and organizations to rely on official statements in order not to cause information pollution.
The vice president also said all schools in these 10 provinces are closed for a week.
Meanwhile, National Education Minister Mahmut Ozer said schools in Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Adana, Osmaniye, and Kilis provinces will be closed for one week.
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"As of today, we are taking a two-week break from education in Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Adiyaman, and Malatya provinces," Ozer added.
Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu said all national sports organizations to be held in Türkiye have been suspended until further notice.
The earthquake was also felt in several countries in the region, including Lebanon and Syria.