Turkey Earthquake: Death toll hit 2,921

The death toll in Turkey from a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake rose to 2,921, the country’s relief agency AFAD announced Tuesday.

The new count brings the confirmed death toll in Turkey and neighbouring Syria to 4,365, after a quake considered to be the strongest to hit the region in nearly a century.

On Monday, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey, toppling buildings and leaving a trail of disaster in seven Turkish provinces and northern Syria, with tremors felt as far as Cairo, Egypt.

The high-magnitude tremor struck at 4.17am local time on Monday in south Eastern Turkey near the Syrian border, according to the US Geological Survey.

The epicentre of the quake was near the city of Gaziantep at a depth of 17.9km, impacting around seven provinces in Turkey and a large area in northern Syria.