Members of the Syrian civil defence, known as the White Helmets transport a casualty pulled from the rubble following an earthquake in the town of Zardana in the countryside of the northwestern Syrian Idlib province, early on February 6, 2023. AFP
AFP correspondents in northern Syria said terrified residents ran out of their homes after the earthquake hit before dawn near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Syrian border.
The quake killed at least 239 people and left at least another 648 injured in government-controlled parts of Syria, including the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, state television said.
In rebel-held parts of the northwest of the country, at least 147 people were killed and more than 340 were injured, rescue workers said.
"The toll may increase as many families are still trapped," the White Helmets rescue group, which operates in rebel-controlled areas of the war-torn country, said on Twitter.
"Our teams are on the ground searching for survivors & removing the dead from the rubble," it added.
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