Damascus: At least 326 people were killed and 1,042 others injured following the devastating earthquake in northwestern Syria on Monday, local media reported.
Giving the casualty figures, Deputy Health Minister Ahmad Dumeira told SANA news agency that the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, and Tartus were affected the most after the massive earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck a wide area on the Syria-Turkey border early on Monday (local time).
Dumeira said all hospitals were mobilised to treat the victims, and additional ambulances and rescue teams were dispatched to areas hit by the disaster.
Syrian National Seismology Centre Director General Dr Raed Ahmed said that the earthquake was the strongest since recording began in 1995.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the death toll now stood at 912, while the number of the injured had increased to 5,383, the BBC reported.
(IANS)
