Turkey earthquake latest news: More than 2,300 dead after second quake strikes

Turkey has experienced a second earthquake just hours after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,300 people in the region.

The epicenter of the first earthquake was in Gaziantep in southern Turkey. Most of the destruction was concentrated along the border to Syria where hundreds of thousands of refugees live.

The second earthquake struck at noon, and it is believed to have killed many more people.

Many buildings were destroyed by the earthquake, and tremors could be felt in Egypt and Cyprus.

Turkish officials claim that more than 1,500 people have been killed in Turkey while 800 are believed to have been killed abroad.

Follow the latest news below.

Meryem Sut (32-year-old) from Samandag described the devastation to the Telegraph and was furious at the government for not responding quickly.

"The state is not there. Including the (emergency service agency) AFAD. She told Nataliya Vasilyeva, a correspondent in Turkey, that no one was there.

"Every third house in Samandag is gone. Here, nothing is organized. No one distributes food. We do it all ourselves.

Ms. Sut told of going to the hospital to visit her brother, who was in a car accident following the earthquake.

"Health workers only treat patients with life-threatening injuries and their services are very limited."

Residents of a town in southern Turkey are being forced to face a rare cold snap that is difficult to manage even under normal conditions.

"The weather is extremely cold, and it's pouring all the time. There are cracks on the roads, traffic jammed and roads blocked. People are afraid to return to their homes. She said, "We plan to spend the night in a greenhouse in rural America."

Turkey's top seismologist has called Monday's earthquake the largest in more than two decades. Our correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva reports from Istanbul.

Turkey's top seismologist has called Monday's earthquake the largest in more than two decades.

"We are facing a major earthquake in this region in 24 years," Dr Haluk Ozener (director of the earthquake research center at Istanbul's Bogazici University) stated in a Monday statement.

It was felt all across Turkey, Northern Cyprus and Syria, and caused some deaths. "So far, there have been 100 aftershocks."

He stated that he expects the aftershocks will continue in the next days with a reduced intensity, but warned that these earthquakes could last up to one year.

"We are facing a major earthquake in this region in 24 years," Dr Haluk Ozener (director of the earthquake research center at Istanbul's Bogazici University) stated in a Monday statement.

It was felt all across Turkey, Northern Cyprus and Syria, and caused some deaths. "So far, there have been 100 aftershocks."

He stated that he expects the aftershocks will continue in the next days with a reduced intensity, but warned that these earthquakes could last up to one year.

Gaziantep Castle was captured on film. It is one of the most well-preserved citadels of Turkey.

Turkey and Syria are both considered the cradles for human civilisation. They also house some of the most valuable relics antiquity.

President Vladimir Putin called Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian leader, and Tayyip Erdogan from Turkey to convey his condolences for the loss and destruction caused by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake. It was the worst to hit Turkey in this century.

Putin offered to send Russian rescue team to Turkey and the regime areas of Syria.

"Bashar al Assad accepted this offer and in the coming hours rescuers from the Russian emergency ministry will fly to Syria," said the Kremlin in a statement.

Russia supported Assad in Syria's civil War. It launched a military campaign to turn the tide in his favor, despite the West calling for him to leave.

Russia maintains a naval base at Tartus on the Syrian coast and also operates the Khmeimim military air base north of Tartus.

Bloomberg reported Monday that Turkey rejected Elon Musk’s offer to activate Starlink satellite internet service by SpaceX in Turkey after it was struck by a devastating earthquake.

Musk tweeted late Sunday that "Starlink has not been approved by the Turkish government yet." "SpaceX will send as soon as it is approved."

Musk was responding to a tweeter who claimed that there were "severe communications shortages" in Turkey following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck the south-east region of Turkey near the Syrian border. This event killed hundreds.

Bloomberg reported that a senior Turkish official said they were grateful for Musk's offer, but Turkey had sufficient satellite capacity and its bases were operating with battery power.

Turkey's minister for transport and infrastructure Omer Fatih Sayan tweeted Monday that it was crucial that communication infrastructure not be disrupted in areas affected by the earthquake.

Below is a livestream showing the rescue of those trapped in the rubble.

Adil Karaismailoglu (Turkish Transportation Minister) was recording when his office was struck by one of the earthquakes in Turkey.

They were thought to have met for a meeting after hearing the second one and then the team was rocked again by the powerful third one.

The White Helmets are a volunteer rescue organization that was established in rebel-held areas of Syria during the civil war.

They are the most organised group of firefighters-come-medics in northwestern Syria and are used to dealing with the aftermath of Syrian government bombings.

Today they described the last pocked of opposition-controlled Syria as being 'in a state of catastrophe' with 'destruction, devastation, and collapse of buildings."

According to the group, the earthquake left 120+ civilians dead and 230+ injured in Idlib province. The death toll is expected to rise because 'hundreds are still trapped under rubble'.

Northwest Syria is home to one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world - home to approximately 4.5 million people effectively besieged.

The UK announced that it would send search and rescue teams to Turkey and a specialised medical team there to help with the response to the earthquake which has already claimed at least 1,500 lives.

James Cleverly, foreign minister, stated in a statement that he was ready to offer additional support if needed.

In a statement released this afternoon, the Pope stated that he was "deeply saddened by" the earthquake.

This happened as the death toll from Syria rose to over 700, while in southern Turkey there were at least 1000.

According to the European Union, 10 search and rescue teams were mobilized in order to help Turkey and Syria.

"Urban Search and Rescue Teams have been quickly mobilised in France, Greece and Hungary to assist the first responders on ground," said the European Commission in a Monday afternoon statement.

Reuters reports that the oil flow through Turkey's Ceyhan port has been temporarily halted by the Kurdish region of Iraq following a major earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

According to a ministry statement, oil exports will resume once the pipelines have been thoroughly inspected.

The earthquake caused the Turkish parliament to suspend its activities for one week on Monday.

Mustafa Elitas (Deputy Chairman of the ruling AK Party) stated that the National Assembly would not meet today and would remain suspended for at most a week as the country deals with the earthquake which affected ten provinces.

On Monday afternoon, a second earthquake was also reported in the Kahranmaras region.

Turkish journalist Ismail Ari posted a series on Twitter of photos from Anadolu that showed the extent of the damage to Hatay, south Turkey.

According to the Danish Geological Institute, the earthquake was powerful enough that it was felt in Greenland (more than three thousand miles).

India, which is one of 45 countries that have sent aid so far, has now announced its intention to send it.

Tanya Evans is the director of International Rescue Committee's Syria office. She says that Syrians are already very vulnerable and that Monday’s earthquakes will only add to their misery.

Another devastating blow for many people already in crisis after years of conflict, this earthquake. This is a crisis within multiple crises. Temperatures are dropping to below zero, leaving thousands of people exposed. If they are forced to return home, children and women will be at greatest risk of being exploited and abused.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoan said Monday that the earthquake in Turkey's South-East is more severe than any other in nearly a century.

He said, "Tonight at 04.17 a.m., we were shaken par the largest disaster since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake," at Ankara's main response center.

"I pray for God's mercy on the citizens of this terrible tragedy, and for our wounded. Erdogan stated that more than 9,000 people were involved in rescue efforts, looking for survivors beneath the rubble in ten Turkish provinces.

Unconfirmed reports have emerged that Turkey may be experiencing a third, smaller earthquake. There are no further details.

According to the most recent estimates, at least 900 people were killed in Turkey and another 560 in Syria.

The Ukraine said that it is ready to help Turkey after the two devastating earthquakes, even though it is locked in a struggle for survival against Russian invaders.

"Ukraine is ready to send large numbers of rescue workers to Turkey in support of crisis response," said the foreign minister. The Ukrainian foreign minister stated that they are in close contact with the Turkish side to coordinate their deployment.

According to the US Geographical Survey, a second earthquake of at least 7.5 magnitude struck Turkey earlier.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre measured a magnitude of 7.7.

A major earthquake was reported to have occurred in the same area just moments ago. It is not clear if this was a second earthquake, or an aftershock.

Risklayer, an independent German research group on natural catastrophes, says its modeling suggests that the death toll could reach the tens or thousands.

According to the researchers, between 4,400 and 39,000 people could have died. Based on current circumstances, the death toll is likely to be close to 16,800.

Carsten Hansen (Middle East Regional Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council) stated that the earthquake "happened at a worst time in the night at the worst times of the year."

This will only make the humanitarian crisis worse for Syrians. Already millions have fled war-torn regions, and many more will be forced to flee the region by this disaster. It is crucial that Syrians do not suffer the consequences of the unprecedented cost-of living crisis and a winter storm.

NRC is currently assessing the situation to determine if it can provide support directly to those most in need across Syria. Our organisation will participate in a massive scale-up. We appeal to the international community to immediately mobilize financial resources to support the collective relief efforts for Syria and southern Turkiye. There will be many deaths for every minute that there is delay.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, stated that he had instructed all authorities to immediately prepare to provide search and rescue and medical assistance at the Turkish government's request.

He said that the foreign and defense ministers had already spoken to their counterparts. They will now agree on the dispatching a delegation as soon possible.

Turkey's president says that approximately 5,300 people were injured. He said that the search and rescue operation are ongoing and that it is impossible to predict the death toll.

Recep Tayyip Turkey's president is making a statement on the earthquake.

It is the largest since 1939, he says. He also stated that the death rate has risen sharply to 912.

Monday's earthquake was 7.8 in magnitude, the same magnitude as the 1939 catastrophic tremor that claimed thousands of lives.

The 1939 Erzincan earthquake, which occurred on December 27, at 1 a.m. in eastern Turkey along the North Anatolian faultline, struck at 1 a.m.

According to some reports, Erzincan, which is the capital of the Turkish province with the same name, has been destroyed eleven times since 1000 AD.

Turkey is home to the Anatolian Plate which is a major source for seismic activity, so severe earthquakes are not unusual there.

The earthquake severely damaged Diyarbakir's castle of two thousand years, which towers above the city.

Serdar Murat Gursel is the head of the unit responsible to restore architectural heritage at Gaziantep Municipality. He confirmed Monday that the walls of the castle had collapsed, that there are cracks in its facade, and that stones have fallen.

The castle was built in 2nd century A.D. as a watchtower. Gursel stated that the last restoration took place about five years ago.

Turkey's top seismologist has called Monday's earthquake one of the most powerful in more than two decades.

"We are facing a major earthquake in this region in 24 years," Dr Haluk Ozener (director of the earthquake research center at Istanbul's Bogazici University) stated in a Monday statement.

"It was felt throughout our