At least 12 people have been killed and more than 200 injured after a powerful earthquake shook large parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The 6.5-magnitude quake damaged buildings, triggered landslides and sent people running into the streets. It struck on Tuesday evening, centred in a mountainous region in Afghanistan’s north-east near the border with Pakistan. Tremors from the remote Jurm valley were felt as far as India. “It was a terrifying tremor. I had never felt such a tremor before in my life,” Kabul resident Khatera told AFP news agwncy after rushing out of her fifth-storey apartment. Nine of the … Continue reading Earthquake in Pakistan and Afghanistan kills at least 12 people

At least 15 people have died and more than 400 are injured after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador’s southern coast. Buildings were damaged in several cities when the earthquake hit at around midday. The southern province of El Oro was the worst affected and 12 people died there, authorities said. Northern Peru felt the quake and a 14-year-old girl died in Tumbes, a border province, when her home collapsed. In Ecuador, Machala and Cuenca were among the cities that suffered damage to buildings and vehicles, as emergency services rushed to help people. The epicentre was near Balao, about 80km (50 … Continue reading 6.7 magnitude earthquake kills at least 15 people in Ecuador

Apowerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Tajikistan on Thursday morning, with tremors strongly shaking parts of neighbouring China. The quake hit around 8.37am Beijing local time at a depth of 6 miles, Chinese state media CCTV reported, citing the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicentre was located nearly 82km from the nearest border with China and was felt across the Xinjiang region, including Kashgar and Artux. The epicentre appeared to be in Gorno-Badakhshan, a semi-autonomous and sparsely populated eastern region dominated by the towering Pamir Mountains. So far there have been no reports of injuries or casualties. The region was hit by two aftershocks … Continue reading 7.2 magnitude earthquake hits Tajikistan with strong shaking felt in China

Rescuers are once again searching for people trapped under rubble in Turkey after two new earthquakes hit the country, killing at least three people. Tremors of 6.4 and 5.8 magnitude struck in the south-east near the border with Syria, where massive quakes devastated both countries on 6 February. The earlier quakes killed 44,000 people in Turkey and Syria with tens of thousands more left homeless. Buildings weakened by those tremors collapsed in both countries on Monday. Turkey’s disaster and emergency agency says the 6.4 tremor occurred at 20:04 local time, followed by the 5.8 quake three minutes later. The three … Continue reading Not Again: Deadly new quakes trap people under rubble in Turkey

Turkey has ended rescue efforts in all but two provinces, almost two weeks after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands of people, the country’s disaster agency said. Searches will continue in Kahramanmaras and Hatay, the agency’s chief said. However, hopes of finding anyone else alive in the rubble are fading fast. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Turkey and announced $100m in humanitarian aid. The epicentre of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on 6 February was in Kahramanmaras. More than 44,000 people are confirmed to have lost their lives in south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. The death … Continue reading Rescue effort ends in all but two areas affected by earthquake in Turkey

Rescuers in Tajikistan are searching for survivors after a series of avalanches hit the mountainous eastern region, killing at least 17 people. Officials say the town of Khorogh, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region, has been worst hit. Dozens of houses are buried under snow, and some are completely destroyed. Most of the impoverished Central Asian nation is covered by high mountains of the Pamir range, and avalanches and rockfalls are a constant hazard. Local officials say 13 people were killed in Khorogh and another four elsewhere in the region since the avalanches began earlier this week. A number … Continue reading Search for survivors after deadly avalanches hit Tajikistan

Officials in Turkey say 113 arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed in Monday’s earthquake. Turkish police have already taken at least 12 people into custody, including building contractors. Meanwhile, unrest in southern Turkey has disrupted rescue efforts in some places. The number of people confirmed to have died in Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 33,000. More arrests are expected – but the action will be seen by many as an attempt to divert overall blame for the disaster. For years, experts warned that many new buildings in Turkey were … Continue reading Turkey earthquake: 113 arrest warrants issued in relation to building construction

Three bodies have been found as rescuers in Turkey search a collapsed hotel for a group of school volleyball players following Monday’s earthquakes. The bodies of two teachers and a student were recovered from the Isias Hotel in Adiyaman, said officials in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus. A group of 39 people, including boys’ and girls’ teams – are said to have been in the building when it came down. Search efforts continue at the site, where players’ families have gathered. The quakes have killed thousands in southern Turkey and northern Syria. The athletes had travelled to Adiyaman from Famagusta Turkish Maarif … Continue reading Turkey earthquake: Bodies found in search for volleyball team

A huge fire at one of Turkey’s main ports has been extinguished, the defence ministry has said. The blaze at Iskenderun, on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, was caused by Monday’s earthquakes, which have devastated parts of the country. Hundreds of shipping containers caught fire, sending an enormous plume of dense, black smoke into the sky. The authorities said that the fire was extinguished on Tuesday but it then reignited. Military helicopters and planes were used to help bring the fire under control when fighting the flames from the land and sea did not work. Among those helping to extinguish the blaze … Continue reading Fire at Iskenderun port extinguished in the aftermath of Turkey earthquake

Turkish goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan has died following Monday’s earthquake in his home country, his club Yeni Malatyaspor has confirmed. More than 5,000 people have lost their lives in Turkey and Syria following the earthquake. “Our goalkeeper, Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, lost his life after being under the collapse of the earthquake. Rest in peace,” the club said on Twitter. “We will not forget you, beautiful person,” it added. Turkaslan, 28, played six times for Turkish second division club Yeni Malatyaspor after joining in 2021. Former Crystal Palace and Everton winger Yannick Bolasie, who currently plays for Turkish second tier side Caykur … Continue reading Turkish football club goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan dies in earthquake

Rescuers are battling heavy rain and snow as they race against the clock to find survivors of a devastating earthquake in south-east Turkey. More than 4,300 people were killed and 15,000 injured in Turkey and over the border in Syria when the quake struck in the early hours of Monday. The World Health Organization has warned the toll may rise dramatically as rescuers find more victims. As day breaks rescue teams are stepping up their search for survivors. Many people in the disaster zone have been too scared to go back into buildings. The 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 04:17 … Continue reading Historic Tragedy: Death toll rises to almost 5000 in Turkey earthquake as heavy rain hampers rescue operations

A powerful earthquake has hit a wide area in south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, killing dozens of people and trapping many others. The US Geological Survey said the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 04:17 local time at a depth of 17.9km (11 miles) near the city of Gaziantep. In Turkey, officials confirmed more than 50 deaths so far. Ten cities have been hit in Turkey. In Syria, at least 42 people were killed, state media reported. There are fears the death toll will rise sharply in the coming hours. Many buildings have collapsed and rescue teams have been deployed … Continue reading Photos: Many killed as powerful earthquake hits south-eastern Turkey