Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Hits Turkey, Aftershocks to Continue

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkey on Monday, causing untold damage, with aftershocks continuing throughout the day.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) told CNN on Monday that the quake had a depth of “24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), located 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province.”

The quake was apparently felt most strongly in the city of Gaziantep, according to Gov. Davut Gul.

“Please let’s wait outside without panic. Let’s not use our cars. Let’s not crowd the main roads. Let’s not keep the phones busy,” he said on Twitter.

CNN noted that aftershocks were felt in southern and central Turkey throughout Monday, with one as high as 6.7 magnitude:

About 11 minutes after the main quake hit, the strongest aftershock of 6.7 magnitude hit about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the main quake’s epicenter. Another intense aftershock with a magnitude of 5.6 then occurred 19 minutes after the main quake.

Journalist Eyad Kourdi, who lives in the city of Gaziantep, told CNN there were up to eight “very strong” aftershocks in under a minute after the 7.8 magnitude quake struck, causing belongings in his home to fall to the ground. Many of his neighbors had left their homes following the quake, he added.

Strong aftershocks are likely to continue in the hours and even days to come after an earthquake as strong as this one, according to CNN meteorologists.

The extent of the damage in terms of infrastructure and deaths remains unknown at this time. The quake comes over two years after the country experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2020 near the Aegean Sea, striking both Turkey and Greece. According to Fox News, at least 57 people were killed with another 900 injured.