earthquake hit a vast area of south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, killing more than 500 people and besieged many others.

The Turkish Vice-President, Fouad Okakai, announced that the number of victims in his country had increased to 284 deaths and 233 injured, and that more than 1,700 buildings had been collapsed as a result of the earthquake.

The Syrian Ministry of Health also confirmed the increase in the number of deaths from the earthquake to 230 and 639 injured in the cities of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartos.

The American Geological Survey stated that the 7.8 degrees earthquake at 17:04 hours at local time (01:17 Time of Greench) was 17.9 kilometres (11 miles) near the city of Gazie Entebb.

During a press conference this morning morning, the Turkish Vice-President confirmed that the earthquake had occurred in difficult weather conditions. The airtraffic in Gazi Entebb and Hatai in southern Turkey was also suspended