Second large earthquake strikes Turkey and Syria less than 12 hours after first
Turkey reports that a second massive earthquake in less than 12 hours has hit the southeast of the country. State media in Syria have also said that Damascus was affected by the latest large quake, although details remain scant.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said that preliminary data showed the quake measured 7.7 magnitude on the Richter scale, and was 67 km (42 miles) north north-east of Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, at a depth of 2 km. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority stated that it was slightly smaller at 7.6 magnitude and at a greater depth.
The combined official death toll from the first quake in Turkey and Syria had already risen to over 1,200, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan describing it as the country’s largest disaster since 1939. He said that 912 people had been killed, with 5,383 wounded.
Syria’s state news agency reported more than 320…
This article was written by Martin Belam (now); Jordyn Beazley and Samantha Lock (earlier) and originally published on www.theguardian.com