As a result of the earthquake in Turkey, at least 900 people died, more than 5.3 thousand were injured, the president of the country reports.
According to the Turkish Disaster Management Authority (AFAD), an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 occurred on Monday, February 6, at 04:17 (coincides with Moscow time) in the Pazardzhik region in the province of Kahramanmaras in southeastern Turkey.
According to Anadolu, after the earthquake, as of 06:30, 42 aftershocks were recorded, the magnitude of the strongest of which was 6.6.
The tremors were felt in various provinces of Turkey, including Hatay, Osmaniyya, Adiyaman, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Malatya and Adana.
It is reported that in the earthquake-affected areas due to tremors, destruction, fires and damage to the roadway occurred.
In a number of settlements, local residents spent the night on the street, kindling bonfires.
According to the agency, the national Turkish air carrier Turkish Airlines is preparing additional flights for the prompt delivery of rescue teams to the disaster zone, to the areas of the country affected by the earthquake.
Anadolu reports, citing Turkish Airlines' spokesperson, that the airline will provide a free return or change ticket option for citizens traveling to the scene.
According to Turkish media, as a result of the earthquake, a historic fortress in the province of Gaziantep collapsed.
Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to the leadership of Turkey and Syria, noting that the Russian side is ready to assist in eliminating the consequences of the emergency.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry announced its readiness to send two Il-76 aircraft with rescuers on board to Turkey.
As stated in the message of the department, on behalf of the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov, 100 specialists of the airmobile detachment of the Russian Emergencies Ministry "Centrospas" and the Center for Rescue Operations of Special Risk "Leader" were put on alert.
“The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia is always ready to help a friendly state whose citizens find themselves in a difficult situation.
Our rescuers have all the necessary knowledge and equipment to eliminate the consequences of such emergencies and are already ready to fly into the earthquake zone, ”the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations quotes the head of the department.
In turn, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said that the earthquake in Turkey occurred far from the tourist area.
“The earthquake did not occur in the tourist area, far from it.
There are no Russian organized tourists in these regions,” said ATOR Executive Director Maya Lomidze, quoted by RIA Novosti.
According to Lomidze, the organization does not have information about the affected tourists from Russia as a result of a natural disaster.
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The Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Antalya also said that Russian citizens did not turn to diplomats amid the earthquake in southern Turkey.
Syria also suffered from the earthquake.
According to the authorities, the number of victims of the disaster in the territory of the republic exceeded 300 people, more than 1 thousand people were injured.
The earthquake also damaged the Aleppo Citadel, which, among the monuments of the Old City, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, RIA Novosti reported with reference to the Director General of the Department of Museums and Attractions of Syria, Hammam Saad.
The agency also reported, citing an Aleppo resident, that the city center was badly damaged by the earthquake.
According to the interlocutor of RIA Novosti, many ancient buildings were destroyed.
It is also reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad initiated an emergency meeting of the republic's council of ministers to discuss the damage from the earthquake.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the earthquake in Syria did not affect the combat readiness of the Russian Khmeimim air base and other military facilities of the Russian group of troops stationed in the republic.
“The duty forces are serving in the normal mode, the personnel are carrying out tasks for their intended purpose, there is no destruction or damage at Russian military facilities,” the ministry said.