Death toll exceeds 1,700 as second quake strikes Turkey and Syria

SOURCE – BBC NEWS- At least 1,700 people are believed to have died after two earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria.

The confirmed death toll from this morning’s earthquake in Turkey has nowrisen to 1,014, the head of the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority has said.

The death toll in Syria now stands at 783, according to the AFP news agency, which has been combining figures from authorities in government-held areas with those from rescue group The White Helmets in rebel-held areas.

The figures bring the combined total to at least 1,797.

Information is still emerging about the impact of a second quake that hit Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province just hours after the first struck near the city of Gaziantep, around 80 miles south.

At least 70 people had already been confirmed as killed in Kahramanmaras before the second quake hit. The current death tolls are expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.

PHOTO: BBC