Nearly 1,800 killed in Turkey earthquake in 24 hours

Nearly 1,800 were killed in a Turkey earthquake in 24 hours

Early Monday, the strongest earthquake in Turkey and Syria in nearly a century leveled buildings and sent tremors as far away as Greenland. 1,800 people died while sleeping in this earthquake.

The quake followed Monday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake and a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

At least 1,042 people died in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey early Monday, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 783 people died in Syria due to this earthquake. 

Raed Ahmed, head of Syria's National Earthquake Center, said it was "the largest earthquake recorded in the center's history."

According to the US Geological Survey, the initial quake struck at 04:17 a.m. (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers (11 miles) near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, home to two million people.

The disaster, which has claimed more than 1,800 lives so far, has prompted calls for aid from other countries. India has decided to send search and rescue teams with medical aid and relief supplies. Two teams of NDRF comprising 100 personnel with specially trained dog squads and necessary equipment are ready to fly to the earthquake-hit area for search and rescue operations, the PMO said in a press release.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a tweet that "the UK stands ready to help in any way we can" and added that his thoughts were with the people of Turkey and Syria.

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