Hundreds dead as powerful earthquake shakes Turkey, Syria

At least 284 people have died in Turkey and more than 2,300 have been injured, Vice President Fuat Oktay said.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday while people were asleep and dozens of aftershocks have been felt in the hours since.

The quake was felt along the country’s west coast from Latakia to the capital Damascus.

It also hit opposition-held regions along the Syrian-Turkish border, where access to healthcare is limited and many live in dilapidated conditions.

Turkey declares state of emergency in affected provinces and urges people not to use mobile phones to allow rescuers to co-ordinate.

Millions of people across Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and Israel felt the earthquake – the epicentre was near the Turkish city of Gaziantep.

Hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble. Nearly 900 buildings were destroyed in Turkey’s Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras provinces, said Vice President Fuat Otkay.