Before And After Pictures Show The Destruction After Major Earthquake In Turkey And Syria

The death toll due to a major earthquake in Turkey and in northwest Syria rose to more than 4,400 today. The magnitude 7.8 quake rippled through both countries early on Monday, toppling entire apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals, and leaving thousands more people injured or homeless. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake and its hundreds of aftershocks destroyed large portions of many Turkish cities, including those that were populated by refugees from the Syrian civil war and other conflicts.

Monday's first earthquake struck at 4:17am (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 18 kilometres (11 miles) near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which is home to around two million people, the US Geological Survey said. The epicenter was located in the district of Pazarcik, in the province of Kahramanmaras, in southeastern Turkey, about 60 kilometers from the border with Syria.

Another 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the region at 1:24 pm (7:24 am GMT), four kilometers southeast of the town of Ekinozu, according to the USGS. There were also around 50 aftershocks, according to Ankara. The tremors were felt as far as Greenland, according to the Danish Geological Survey.

It is very likely that the toll of victims will increase rapidly, taking into account the number of collapsed buildings in the most affected cities, such as Adana, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa and Diayarbakir, in southeastern Turkey . Due to the time of the earthquake, at dawn, most people were at home sleeping.

Multi-storey apartment buildings full of residents were among the 5,606 structures reduced to rubble in Turkey, while Syria announced dozens of collapses, as well as damage to archaeological sites in Aleppo. So, far, 4,400 have been killed and over 15,000 injured but the death toll is predicted to cross 20,000 by WHO.

For safety reasons, gas was cut off across the region, due to aftershocks that could trigger explosions. This is the biggest earthquake in Turkey since August 17, 1999, when an occurrence caused 17,000 deaths

In Turkey, where the epicenter was registered, the emergency service reported at over 3,400 dead and more than 11,000 injuries. In Syria, the earthquake left at least 1,600 dead and more than 3,500 injured so far.

Here are some before and after pictures from Turkey and Syria after the powerful earthquake:

The minaret of the mosque inside the UNESCO-listed citadel, in the regime-controlled northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

Gaziantep Castle

Aleppo's ancient citadel, Syria

Yeni Camii (New Mosque), Malatya in Turkey

Trend Garden Residence, Malatya in Turkey

Hotel Avsar, Malatya in Turkey

Catholic Church of Iskenderun in Turkey