Thread by @seldeeb

#earthquake with epicenter reportedly in #Turkey was felt throughout the region. Many people i know woke up to the shake. Some went into streets. #lebanon #jordan #Syria

This is strongest #earthquake I felt since #egypt’s 1992 destructive one. In #beirut, waking up in middle of night to shaking building brought back terrifying memories of #aug4 #beirutblast in 2020. Where to hide?

This time, I am in a new building with 2 four-legged dependents and no @leenasaidi to pull me out of house. It took a few minutes to regain composure. Still contemplating what to do with drake and smudge

After three days of stormy weather, the storm stopped for the #earthquake. Now winds are restarting and a full moon is lighting up the dark streets of #beirut. Anyone reporting building collapsed or damaged near them?

Back in 92, we were kids and gathered at a friend’s house not too far from the epicenter. Back then we rushed to the streets giggling and laughing. But there was too much destruction in #cairo. It took months to recover. Many lost their lives

Now, woken up from sleep, the mind raced between all possible reasons for shaking- explosion, a generator blew off, someone trying to break into the house.

Now pictures are emerging of serious damage and destroyed buildings in #syria’s idlib - home to one of the world’s largest population of displaced and millions already living in tents

Reports below that people re trapped under destroyed buildings in northwest #syria - a region reeling from air strikes and shelling and one of the world’s biggest displaced population #idlib #aleppo

https://twitter.com/syriacivildefe/status/1622412592038776832

#سلقين #salqin no power and destroyed building . Civil defense (used to rescue missions after strikes) says earthquake “targets” nw #syria :( fb.watch/iw7XS3_ZDs/?mi…

Now reports that the quake with epicenter in south #Turkey near #syria was at 7.8

https://twitter.com/usgs_quakes/status/1622424153184948225

In northern #syria, where millions are living in temporary housing or tents, displaced by the war, rescue teams, accustomed to dealing with bombings, are struggling with magnitude of #earthquake.

Rescuers and doctors say no village, town or city in nw #syria hasnt been affected. At least one hospital deemed unsafe and evacuated. Buildings are already damaged from previous shelling or bombing and rescuers are urging ppl to stay out. It’s also a stormy rainy night

There is no state rescue service in nw #syria. Only volunteers and civil defense teams that learned how to work during the war and under fire. #earthquakes are not their areas of expertise.

Here civil defense head in nw #syria is speaking and discussion of situation in area where 4 million displaced live twitter.com/i/spaces/1yoKM…

Rescue team head tells in nw #syria tells me they trained to deal with earthquakes but never had to practice. “We never had an #earthquake of this magnitude in #syria”

Rescue team declares nw #syria disaster area and calls on Assad and #russia to refrain any military operations there syriacivildefence.org/ar/latest/stat…

As daylight breaks, extent of catastrophe begins to appear - a whole neighborhood in samarda leveled nw #syria #earthquake

https://twitter.com/orientnews/status/1622461238234972161

One #syria activist says “as if it’s judgement day” after seeing devastation from #earthquake to war-battered area of Syria instagram.com/p/CoTaKuMq0gz/…

“Could it be warplanes?” the reality of living in #syria - a couple record the #earthquake rocking their house vm.tiktok.com/ZMY29cUyo/

Preliminary death toll from #earthquake is estimated at 640- with at least 120 registered in nw #syria, where many people live in homes already wrecked by bombings - read @ap report from #Turkey, #lebanon and #syria apnews.com/article/b92780…

Tiny bit of good news from under the rubble, a family is saved in nw #syria after the #earthquake

https://twitter.com/syriacivildefe/status/1622501084387237893

In #beirut, where there is no damage to speak off from Monday’s #earthquake, the skies are angry. Very angry. Thunder continues to shake the city. Pleading for one hour of sleep, but skies are unforgiving

* of

One more after shock felt in #beirut #earthquake

A wooden door shielded them from the worst force of the collapse from the #earthquake _ Abdel Hamid and his family from western #Idlib in nw #syria spoke to @AP @AlsayedGhaith and @sewella apnews.com/article/syria-…

More than 24 hours after the 1st tremors, hundreds are still trapped under the rubbles in #Syria and rescuers are digging in with their hands and nails, sometimes shovels, to find survivors. they warn time is running out #earthquake

https://twitter.com/SyriaCivilDef/status/1622830781033848833?s=20

The death toll so far estimated at 4,000 and is likely to continue climbing. survivors cry out for help from within mountains of debris while first responders contend with rain and snow. apnews.com/article/earthq… @AlsayedGhaith @mehmetguzelap @suzanfraser #earthquake #syria #Turkey

U.N. says at least 224 buildings in northwestern #Syria were destroyed and at least 325 were damaged, including aid warehouses in the enclave home to millions of displaced, most of them already living in half destroyed homes and temporary shelters #earthquake

In Pazarcik, the epicenter of #earthquake, rescuers silenced throngs of people gathered around the rubble to listen for survivors @mehmetguzelap @zbilginsoy #Turkey apnews.com/article/turkey…

Even before the #earthquake, life for #Syria ns was at a breaking point nytimes.com/2023/02/06/wor… @VivianHYee @hwaida_saad @RajaAbdulrahim