🚨A destructive Magnitude 7.8 earthquake has just struck southern Turkey causing extreme damage with estimates of thousands of people dead. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW (live thread)

The earthquake lasted around 90 seconds with a Magnitude 6.5 aftershock hitting minutes later. So far officials are reporting that 181 are dead with numbers expected to rise significantly, and many more injured.

The earthquake has caused a massive gas line to burst into flames and led to a massive explosion in adıyaman gölbaşı with huge flames lighting up the night sky that can be seen miles and miles away

Heartbreaking video shows buildings and other structures collapsing with people trapped inside. Officials are reporting that the earthquake struck around 3:30 AM in the morning when people were sleeping.

Reports of more death in neighboring Syria and Lebanon

Video shows an overwhelmeddhospital in the city of Salqin, Syria.

Risklayer is estimating at least 4,400 people dead, could reach more than 10,000

Here’s what we know so far - Preliminary magnitude: 7.8 - Near Gaziantep, southern Turkey - Widespread damage across the region - USGS: Death toll could reach thousands - Also felt in Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus - Light shaking in Jordan, Israel, Egypt

New video is coming out of apocalyptic scenes when the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake first struck.

The only runway at Hatay Airport in southern Turkey has been tore open due to the earthquake

Neighborhood in Harem, Syria was completely destroyed with a number of people trapped inside collapsed buildings.

Heartbreaking video Shows Gaziantep Castle, which was built more than 2,200 years ago, just collapsed. Below is before, check next week for the aftermath.

Here's the aftermath 😔

Here is the current pattern of aftershocks on both sides of the earthquake. The main shock would suggest the rupture propagated bilaterally, although earlier posts suggested a unilateral (to the NE) rupture.

UPDATE: 1,710 buildings have been destroyed in Turkey at latest count, according to Turkish vice president.

There have been 5 earthquakes in Turkey measuring over magnitude 6.0 since the devastating one in August of 1999 near Izmit

The August 1999 earthquake caused by shifting of tectonic plates in a depth of 39 km resulted in 17,118 deaths. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami, leading to further victims and destruction.

Since 1950, more than 35,600 people died by the direct consequences of earthquakes. There were 6 earthquakes that also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lives, and cause additional damage.

Measured by the size of the country, earthquakes in Turkey occur above average, but not excessively often.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) gives a 34% chance that the economic impact will reach above US $1 billion.

Steve Bowen, Chief Science Officer at reinsurance broker Gallagher Re, commented that a magnitude 6.7 quake in the same region in January 2020 cost around US $600 million.

UPDATES: Rescue efforts in Syria are undergoing as we speak Some buildings are still collapsing after the tremors due to low quality building standards in this part of the country. Expect more tremors as aftershocks will continue for a while

A NEW Earthquake hit Turkey, magnitude 7.5. I tweeted about it earlier and moved to a new thread:

JUST IN: Turkish deaths by area (Source: AFAD) Kahramanmaraş: 191 Gaziantep: 200 Şanlıurfa: 27 Diyarbakır: 41 Adana: 43 Adıyaman: 20 Osmaniye: 131 Hatay: 250 Kilis: 13 Malatya: 98