Erdoğan: We Experiencing Biggest Disaster in Century

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan revealed that 1,121 people lost their lives so far in Monday’s earthquake and 5,385 were injured, affirming that this is the biggest disaster they had experienced in the last century.

During his speech, Erdoğan highlighted that search and rescue teams had been dispatched to the affected areas.

“We do not know how high the number of dead and injured will go. Our hope is to get through this disaster with the least loss,” he said.

“This is the biggest disaster we’ve experienced in the last century after the 1939 Erzincan earthquake,” he added, citing an incident in which more than 32,000 people were killed in eastern Turkey.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey followed by another strong quake which was felt in several provinces in the region.

Meanwhile, over 1,900 people were killed when an earthquake struck central Turkey and north-west Syria, while a second powerful termor hours later threatened to overwhelm rescue efforts.

The Syrian health ministry reported damage across the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus, where Russia is leasing a naval facility.