On Monday morning, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria, leaving over 10 people dead and many more injured or trapped beneath the rubble. The earthquake, likely triggered by the East Anatolian Fault, was quickly followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock, with more aftershocks occurring later in the day. Reports from Turkey's disaster agency show that multiple buildings were destroyed and numerous casualties are expected.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a statement on Twitter, saying,"search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" and that the priority was to retrieve those trapped and injured. In addition, Syria's interior ministry reported that "entire buildings have collapsed" in the quake, with people being trapped underneath rubble. Syrian Civil Defense urged people to evacuate their buildings and gather in open areas.

Residents in Lebanon also felt the quake, which shook buildings for about 40 seconds.