The White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, on Monday declared the northwest of the country as a “disaster area” following the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit neighboring Turkey, sending tremors across the region.
The group said hundreds of people have been injured and trapped under rubble and dozens have died, but didn’t specify exact numbers.
“We call on all local authorities and civil forces to mobilize their cadres, and we recommend all humanitarian, health and relief organizations operating in Syria to share work according to the system of parity and their geographical distribution in order to ensure that the necessary needs are covered as much as possible,” the White Helmets said in a statement.
Much of northwestern Syria, which borders Turkey, is controlled by anti-government forces amid a bloody civil war that began in 2011.
According to Syrian State TV, citing the Ministry of Health, the earthquake Monday has killed at least 111 people and injured 516 others in the Syrian regions of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus.
