Turkey earthquake: Before and after pictures show extent of destruction

Two huge earthquakes and a series of aftershocks have hit Turkey, Syria and the surrounding region, killing more than 6,000 people and causing widespread destruction.

The first earthquake, which struck at 04:18 local time (01:18 GMT) on 6 February, was registered as 7.8, classified as "major" on the official magnitude scale. Its epicentre was near Gaziantep - a city of more than two million people.

The intensity of the tremors also brought down tower blocks and public buildings in northern Syria and was felt as far away as Cyprus and Lebanon, both about 250 miles (400km) from the epicentre.

In Turkey, more than 4,500 people are confirmed to have died, with more than 20,000 injured and about 6,000 buildings destroyed.

Gaziantep's castle, which has stood for more than 2,000 years, was also heavily damaged. The hilltop castle was built during the Roman Empire. More recently, it had been used as a museum.

Satellite images also show how the earthquake destroyed areas of the town of Islahiye in Gaziantep province.

 

The second quake hit Kahramanmaras about nine hours after the first

On Tuesday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three month state of emergency in the south-east of the country, covering 10 cities affected.

In the Mediterranean port city of Iskenderun, in the province of Hatay, about 75 miles (120km) from Gaziantep, buildings and docks were reduced to rubble

The historic Yeni Camii mosque, in Malatya, more than 100 miles (160km) from the epicentre, was extensively damaged. Its domes collapsed, leaving it exposed to the winter sky. The mosque was destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1894 and, after reconstruction, damaged by another quake in 1964.

Collapsing buildings killed more than 1,800 people across Syria. In the city of Aleppo, the ancient citadel ravaged by a decade of war has been further damaged by the quake.

In the village of Besnaya-Bseineh, a large block of residential and commercial buildings was reduced to rubble.

Turkey earthquake: Before and after pictures show extent of destruction - BBC News

Turkey earthquake: Before and after pictures show extent of destruction