Early on Monday, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria, killing over 2,300 people, according to officials.
The town of Pazarcik in Turkey’s southeasterly Kahramanmaras province was the epicenter of the predawn quake, which was followed by several powerful aftershocks. On both sides of the border, thousands of buildings fell, and the death toll was expected to rise as rescue workers looked for survivors among the enormous piles of rubble.
Syria and Turkey have both declared a state of emergency.
A spokesperson for the base informed ABC News that there were no significant damages to facilities and that there were no known casualties among U.S. personnel assigned to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.
The epicenter of the earthquake is approximately 125 miles from the base.
In a statement, the spokesperson stated that the 39th Air Base Wing in Incirlik “is still mission operational.”
According to the spokesperson, the Air Force is ready to assist Turkey if necessary.
The Emergency Management Agency of Turkey reports that more than 2,800 buildings across the country have been completely destroyed, and the Syrian Civil Defense Agency reports that more than 1,400 buildings have been destroyed in Syria.
According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at least 45 nations have pledged to send volunteers and other forms of assistance to Turkey.
In a tweet, President Joe Biden expressed his deep sadness over the earthquake’s “devastation and loss of life.”
He posted on Twitter, “I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye and provide any and all necessary assistance.”
