According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake, whose magnitude was 7.8 on the Richter scale, occurred at 4.17 local time (3.17 Latvian time). Its hypocenter was located at a depth of 17.9 kilometers.
A 6.7 magnitude aftershock followed 15 minutes later, followed by several more aftershocks. According to Turkish seismologists, the strength of the first shock was 7.4 magnitude.
Many buildings collapsed in southeastern Turkey and Syria. At least 53 people have been killed and several hundred injured in Turkey, officials said.
The dead are in the provinces of Diyarbakır, Malatya, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.
In Syria, at least 62 people lost their lives and about 200 were injured, SANA agency reports. The casualties are in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.
As the earthquake struck at night when people were at home and asleep, the death toll is expected to be much higher.
The earthquake was also felt in Lebanon.
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