AMN / WEB DESK

More than 500 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the two countries early today. At least 284 people have died and more than 2,300 were injured in Turkey. In Syria, at least 237 people were killed and 639 injured.

The death toll is likely to rise further. More than 1,700 buildings were damaged across 10 Turkish cities, Turkish vice president said.

The worst affected cities include Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis. Today’s quake is one of the strongest to hit Turkey in more than 100 years and sent tremors across the region. Hospitals overwhelmed after deadly quake. Syrian state media said, a large number of buildings collapsed in Aleppo province of Syria. The tremor was also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus.