This browser does not support the Video element.
Turkish, Syrian communities in Philadelphia collecting donations for earthquake victims
Turkish and Syrian communities in Philadelphia immediately began organizing donations for survivors of a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that 4,000 people.
PHILADELPHIA - Turkish and Syrian communities in and around Philadelphia are asking for donations in the wake of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 4,000 people in their homelands.
The Muslim Cultural Association is working with the Turkish Embassy and Turkish Airlines to get money to victims quickly and ship supplies back home as soon as possible.
"Every little bit from anybody inside or outside of our community, we greatly appreciate it and I'm sure the people there will appreciate it too," Serdar Kurt said.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured Monday’s quake at 7.8, with a depth of 18 kilometers (11 miles). Hours later, a 7.5 magnitude temblor, likely triggered by the first, struck more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.
The second jolt caused a multistory apartment building in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa to topple onto the street in a cloud of dust as bystanders screamed, according to video of the scene.
Thousands of buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast.
In Turkey alone, more than 5,600 buildings were destroyed, authorities said. Hospitals were damaged, and one collapsed in the city of Iskenderun.
Authorities feared the death toll from Monday's pre-dawn earthquake and aftershocks would keep climbing as rescuers looked for survivors among tangles of metal and concrete spread across the region beset by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.
Tens of thousands who were left homeless in Turkey and Syria faced a night in the cold. In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a provincial capital about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from the epicenter, people took refuge in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning.
U.S. President Joe Biden called Erdogan to express condolences and offer assistance to the NATO ally. The White House said it was sending search-and-rescue teams to support Turkey’s efforts.