06-Feb; A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, killing over 1300 people as buildings collapsed across the snowy region, and triggering a search for survivors trapped in the rubble. As the rescue operations have just begun and there are too many demolished structures, the death toll is expected to rise. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency said at least 912 people were killed in seven Turkish provinces. The agency said 440 people were injured.President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by telephone with the governors of eight affected provinces to gather information on the situation and rescue efforts, his office said in a statement.The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to 237 with more than 630 injured, according to Syrian state media.
