NUNZIUM

A powerful earthquake hit Southern Turkey and Northern Syria in the early hours of Monday morning. According to the Turkish and Syrian authorities, thousands of people have been injured, and hundreds have been found dead. The 7.8 magnitude heartquake struck near the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said on Twitter that "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit by the quake. Residents have been helping rescue workers to pull survivors among the debris. To complicate the intervention, ice and snow are covering roads. The earthquake's impact was so huge that tremors could be felt in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Egypt. In Damascus, buildings shook, and many people rushed onto the streets in fear. In a briefing, Turkey's vice president said that around 1,700 buildings had collapsed. Syria's state media also reported that some buildings had collapsed in Aleppo and the central city of Hama. Authorities confirmed that this is, so far, the most powerful earthquake on record in the region. However, heartquakes are not new in the zone: in 2011 and 1999, two more were hit with a power magnitude of 7.1 and 7.6, respectively. The reaction from international leaders was prompt in offering assistance to Turkey and Syria. Germany, the US, the EU and all NATO members expressed complete solidarity and are now coordinating interventions with President Erdogan.