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A monster magnitude 7.8 earthquake has struck in southern Turkey killing at least 100 people and leaving many more feared dead.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has advised that "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit amid reports multiple buildings have been reduced to rubble.
"We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage," he wrote on Twitter.
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Further reports suggest that aftershocks have been felt in countries across the Middle East with Syria’s state media stating that some buildings have collapsed in the cities of Aleppo and Hama.
Images which have yet to be verified are circulating on social media showing fallen buildings and rubble in streets.
Governor Hulusi Sahin, however, said t least 130 buildings have tumbled down in the country's Malatya province alone.
Speaking on Twitter, storm chaser Sam Sagnella said: "Prelim M7.7 quake in SE Turkey, which appears to have been relatively shallow; probably felt across much of the region. Earthquakes of this magnitude generally require an international response. Significant destruction on a local level is likely.
"Really nasty business, and this quake has undoubtedly affected folks across the Middle East."
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"According to the UN’s World Food Program automated disaster response feed, approximately 3,000,000 people live within 50km of the epicentre. In the context of prior incidents, this is likely to be a major catastrophe for those in the immediate vicinity."
Seismologist Dr Lucy Jones added: "Lots of information about the M7.8 in Turkey. The location of mainshock is near the intersection of the Dead Sea Transform fault and the East Anatolian fault. The focal mechanism could be either fault."
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks.
He said: "Our priority is to bring out people trapped under ruined buildings and to transfer them to hospitals."
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