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Israel sending aid to Syria and Turkey, Netanyahu says
From CNN’s Amir Tal and Hadas Gold in Jerusalem
Israel is sending humanitarian aid to Syria — a country it is formally at war with — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, following the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey near the Syrian border.
Israel had received the aid request “from a diplomatic element,” without specifying who the diplomats were, Netanyahu said.
Israel and Syria have no formal relations.
The Israeli leader said he had approved the request and assumed it would be acted on “in the near future.”
Israel is also responding to a request for assistance from the Turkish government by sending two rescue and medical aid missions on Monday, he added.
Turkey and Syria death toll surpasses 1,800 following the devastating earthquake
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 1,824 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.
In Syria, a total of at least 430 people have died, mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA, which also reported 1,284 injuries.
Meanwhile, the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 380 deaths and 1,000 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.
According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), at least 1,014 people have died and 7,003 people were injured following the earthquake in Turkey.
Russia offers to help Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake
From CNN's Anna Chernova
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu offered help to his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in a phone call Monday, after a deadly earthquake struck Turkey and Syria earlier Monday.
Shoigu “offered to provide all necessary assistance through the military department to the Turkish colleague in the aftermath of the earthquake, including medical assistance to the victims,” according to the readout of the call published by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
He also expressed his condolences to Akar for the numerous casualties and destruction, the readout added.
Akar thanked the Russian defense minister for the offered assistance, “promising to prepare specific proposals in the near future,” the readout went on to say.
Earlier Monday, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, suggested Russian rescuers have technologies of determining the viability of buildings after earthquakes that could be useful, and said Moscow is “waiting for the signals” from the Turkish side.
“We have expressed readiness [to provide assistance] at the highest political level, we are waiting for signals from Turkish friends,” Peskov told reporters.
China expresses condolences and concern over Turkey’s devastating earthquake
From CNN's Wayne Chang in Hong Kong
China expressed its condolences and concern for the loss of life and property damages following a devastating earthquake that struck the southern part of Turkey on Monday, the spokesperson for China's International Development Cooperation Agency Xu Wei said.
The spokesperson said that China is in touch with Turkish and Syrian authorities and that the government is willing to provide emergency humanitarian aid based on the needs of victims.
Turkey earthquake death toll surpasses 1,000
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul
The death toll has risen to 1,014 in Turkey following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday, according to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).
Here are the death tolls by area, as provided by the AFAD in a statement:
Kahramanmaraş: 191
Gaziantep: 200
Şanlıurfa: 27
Diyarbakır: 41
Adana: 43
Adıyaman: 20
Osmaniye: 131
Hatay: 250
Kilis: 13
Malatya: 98
These numbers are according to the "first information received from SAKOM (Emergency and Crisis Coordination center of Turkish Ministry)," AFAD said.
Arab leaders send condolences to Turkey and Syria following devastating earthquake
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi in Abu Dhabi
Arab leaders expressed condolences to the people of Turkey and Syria after a devastating earthquake ripped through their countries, leaving widespread destruction and hundreds of deaths.
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani spoke to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Monday to express his condolences to the Turkish people and expressed his support “in mitigating the serious humanitarian repercussions left by the earthquake, wishing a speedy recovery,” Qatar News Agency (QNA) said in a statement.
The President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum both sent their condolences to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Turkish President Erdoğan, Emirates news agency WAM said on Monday.
Jordan’s King Abdullah bin Al Hussein offered his condolences to the people of Syria and Turkey who have been affected by the earthquake and directed the provision of aid to the families of the victims and the injured in the two countries.
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs put out a statement expressing “sincere condolences and solidarity with both Turkey and Syria and the victims of the devastating earthquake.”
Czech Republic will send search and rescue team to Turkey following powerful earthquake
From CNN's Ivana Kottasova in London
The Czech Republic is sending a 68-person specialized search and rescue team to Turkey following a request for help from the Turkish side, the Fire Rescue services of the Czech Republic said Monday.
An official from the fire service said the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team specializes in earthquake search and rescue, and is fully equipped and trained for operations that include finding and pulling people out of rubble. The teams include search and rescue dog units and medical personnel.
The team comprises experts from two separate squads. One team will fly from Ostrava on Monday afternoon and the second team will fly from Prague in early evening.
WHO activates emergency medical teams in Turkey and Syria
From Mia Alberti in Beirut
The World Health Organization has activated its network of emergency medical teams in Turkey and Syria to assist those affected by the earthquake, the WHO's director-general tweeted.
The teams will provide "essential health care for the injured and most vulnerable affected by the earthquake", Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The earthquake knocked out power and internet connectivity in southern Turkey which may impact "the public's ability to seek assistance," according to global internet monitor NetBlocks.
At least 1,500 are dead after huge earthquake rocks Turkey and Syria. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
More than 1,500 people have been killed and thousands more injured across Turkey and Syria, after one of the most powerful earthquakes in decades ripped through the region early Monday.
Members of the international community, including NATO and the EU, have offered help to the Turkish government following the disaster, as rescue teams are scrambling to find survivors in the rubble of fallen buildings.
Here are the latest developments:
- Devastating death toll: At least 1,504 people have died across the two nations. About 5,385 people were injured in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said. Syrian state news agency SANA reported 1,089 injuries there, while the "White Helmets" group reported at least 419 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of Syria.
- Mammoth aftershock: A major aftershock measuring 7.5 in magnitude hit Turkey at 1:24 p.m. local time (5:24 a.m. ET), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It is the largest of the more than 30 aftershocks to strike so far.
- Refugees impacted: Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, displaced by the civil war in their home country, are settled in the regions of Turkey that have been worst hit.
- World leaders offer aid: Azerbaijan will send a search and rescue team of 370 people and aid material to Turkey, while the Netherlands said it will send 15 metric tons of search and rescue equipment. German technical aid agency THW also said is preparing to deploy aid to the region.
- Challenging weather conditions: With a cold and wet weather system moving through the region, poor conditions are likely to impact the post-quake rescue and recovery efforts in southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, according to CNN meteorologists.