(NEW YORK) — Outside his packed resume of movie and television credits, Ben Affleck has become famous in meme form with his hands full of Dunkin’ iced coffee, doughnuts and more.
The Quincy, Massachusetts-based coffee chain, beloved by the Boston-raised actor, starred in a Super Bowl ad after weeks of hinting of an upcoming cameo — but a surprise appearance from Jennifer Lopez made the commercial all the better.
Affleck surprised Dunkin’ customers by working the drive-thru, helping local Bostonians get their caffeine fix: “Welcome to Dunkin’, we’re a very friendly establishment. America runs on Dunkin’. This is the Dunkin’ run partner. What do you need?”
In a twist, Lopez, who married Affleck last year, pulled up to the window.
“What are you doing here? Is this what you do when you say you’re going to work all day?” she asks in the commercial.
Earlier this week, the coffee brand posted a close-up shot of a Dunkin’ iced coffee with on-screen text that that read, “Something’s Ben Brewing” and Sunday’s date for Super Bowl LVII.
“Feelin’ like we could all use some Dunkin’ today,” the caption read.
Instagram users filled the comments with a range of ideas as to what it meant, with Affleck the resounding guess by many fans.
A representative for Dunkin’ told ABC News and Good Morning America that the teaser posts were all they could share ahead of the big game.
“We’re airing our first-ever Super Bowl ad this year, but you’ll have to tune in on Sunday to see what’s ‘Ben’ brewing,” Jill Nelson, chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
In the meantime, a photographer snapped a shot of Affleck sporting the black Dunkin’ t-shirt and matching visor complete with a headset as he leaned out the drive-through window of a Boston Dunkin’ location on Jan. 10.
(NEW YORK) — Some people watched Super Bowl LVII for the big game, while others watched for the halftime show when superstar Rihanna made her long-awaited return to music and, of course, we can’t forget the commercials.
Companies from Bud Light to PopCorners teased their commercials and spent big money ahead of the game, with Variety reporting that advertisers could be shelling out between $6 million to $7 million for 30 seconds of commercial time — and their ads aren’t not lacking in star power.
Here are some of the most anticipated and buzzed-about commercials from Sunday’s game:
PopCorners and Breaking Bad stars
Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul reprised their Emmy award-winning roles for PopCorners’ latest commercial airing during Super Bowl LVII.
The duo created PopCorners, a brand that makes probably addicting and definitely not illegal chips.
General Motors, Netflix and Will Ferrell
General Motors and Netflix have teamed up with comedian Will Ferrell to promote the car manufacturer’s latest line of electric vehicles. The ad shows Ferrell driving different EVs as he makes his way through multiple Netflix shows, such as Stranger Things, Bridgerton and Squid Game.
Have yourself a ‘Hamm and Brie’ sandwich with Hellman’s
Hellmann’s enlisted a “miniature” John Hamm and Brie Larson for its latest Super Bowl commercial, where they are inside a fridge with a jar of its famous mayonnaise. The ad also features Pete Davidson, who makes a “ham and brie” sandwich.
Bud Light and Miles Teller
Bud Light got Miles Teller, star of Top Gun: Maverick, one of the biggest movies of 2022, and his wife Keleigh Teller, an actress who’s appeared in a Taylor Swift music video, for its latest Super Bowl commercial.
The commercial shows the couple dancing to the catchy wait music while on hold.
Clueless with Alicia Silverstone
As if this commercial from Rakuten couldn’t be more iconic. The company recruited Clueless star Alicia Silverstone to reprise her role as Cher in this Super Bowl ad promoting the app’s cash-back feature when users go shopping.
Pepsi Zero Sugar’s master class in acting with Ben Stiller and Steve Martin
Pepsi, known for getting big talent for its Super Bowl commercials, got actors Ben Stiller and Steve Martin to promote its Pepsi Zero Sugar line.
The company released two teasers of Stiller and Martin and the two go back and forth on who’s the better actor.
Something’s Ben Brewing
Dunkin’ has enlisted A-list actor and Dunkin’ lover Ben Affleck for its new Super Bowl ad. The company unveiled the commercial, which shows Affleck surprising unsuspected drive-thru customers by taking their orders during Sunday’s game. The actor’s wife, Jennifer Lopez, also appears in the ad.
Uber Eats gets Diddy to create ‘one’ hit
Uber Eats brought on music mogul Diddy to help come up with one hit song for Uber One, its membership service that helps users save money when ordering food. In the ad, Diddy enlists Montell Jordan, Kelis and Ylvis to do Uber-centric versions of their hit songs.
Rémy Martin teams with the GOAT
Tennis legend Serena Williams stars in Rémy Martin’s new “inch by Inch” commercial advertising its cognac. The brand has released a few teasers featuring the 23-time Grand Slam champion ahead of Sunday’s big game.
Bookings.com books Melissa McCarthy for a vacation
Bookings.com has booked the hilarious Melissa McCarthy for its latest Super Bowl commercial urging people to use its site to reserve a vacation “somewhere, anywhere.”
Bradley Cooper and his mom attempt a T-Mobile commercial
Nine-time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper stars alongside his mother, Gloria Campano, in T-Mobile’s Super Bowl commercial about them making a commercial for T-Mobile.
The two enjoy a funny back and forth while Campano ribs him the way only a mother can.
M&M’s get a little help from Maya Rudolph
M&M’s revealed its latest Super Bowl commercial with the hilarious Maya Rudolph, the news spokesperson for M&Ms, promoting “candy-coated clam bites.”
The commercial comes after the company paused advertisements with its “spokes candies” and announced it was enlisting Rudolph as the brand’s new face.
Eyes. Lips. Face. with Jennifer Coolidge
Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge stars in e.l.f. Cosmetic’s first-ever commercial, which aired during Sunday’s game. The commercial featured a zany and somewhat clumsy Coolidge doing what she does best: bringing the laughs.
Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 5, 2023, after it was shot down. — Department of Defense
(HONG KONG) — China on Monday accused the United States of flying spy balloons into its airspace without permission more than 10 times since the start of 2022, further escalating tensions between the two countries.
“Since last year alone, U.S. high-altitude balloons have illegally flown over China’s airspace more than ten times without the approval of relevant Chinese authorities,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular press briefing in Beijing. “It is not uncommon for U.S. balloons to frequently take the opportunity to carry out close-in reconnaissance against China.”
When asked by reporters how Beijing had reacted to the alleged U.S. incursions into Chinese airspace, Wang said the responses were “responsible and professional.” He did not offer any additional details about the incidents.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told MSNBC on Monday that the allegation is “absolutely not true.”
“We are not flying balloons over China,” Kirby said.
The remarks came after the U.S. military shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. The massive high-altitude object had drifted across the continental U.S. for several days, adding new tensions to the already strained U.S.-China relationship and prompting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a high-stakes trip to Beijing just hours before he was set to depart. Blinken called the balloon a “clear violation” of U.S. sovereignty and international law.
During a press briefing earlier this month, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon didn’t pose a physical or military threat and that, once it was detected, the U.S. took steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information. Ryder later disclosed that China had conducted four balloon surveillance missions over “sensitive sites” within U.S. territory during recent years, but did not disclose exactly where or when the incidents took place.
Speaking at a joint press conference with NATO’s top official last week, Blinken revealed that the U.S. had assessed the alleged Chinese spy balloon was part of an expansive surveillance program aimed at gathering intelligence from targets around the globe.
“Senior administration officials are on the Hill this week, and we already shared information with dozens of countries around the world, both from Washington and from our embassies,” Blinken said. “We’re doing this because the United States was not the only target of this broader program, which has violated the sovereignty of countries across five continents.”
Meanwhile, Beijing has accused Washington of overreacting and insisted the aerostat was a weather balloon of “civilian nature” that had accidentally blown astray, though Chinese officials have refused to name the company involved.
The U.S military has since shot down three other “flying objects” over North America. An official with the U.S. Department of State told reporters last week that Washington is looking into “taking action” against Beijing over the alleged Chinese incursions into U.S. airspace.
“The first thing the U.S. should do is to reflect on itself and change its course, instead of slandering and inciting confrontation,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters on Monday.
Wang sidestepped questions over reports that the Chinese military was also preparing to shoot down a flying object off the coast of Qingdao in China’s eastern Shandong province.
“As for the other so-called UFOs you mentioned, I don’t know much about them,” he said. “What I want to tell you here is that the United States frequently launches advanced missiles to shoot down unidentified flying objects. This is an overreaction with too much force.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have welcomed their fourth child, Page Six confirms.
Lively seemingly confirmed the news on Sunday, sharing a carousel of photos which included one of herself with Reynolds and his mother and her baby bump noticeably missing.
“Puppy Bowl Sunday 2023,” she captioned the snapshots. “Been busy.”
Lively, 35, and Reynolds, 46, already share three daughters — eight-year-old James, six-year-old Inez, and three-year-old Betty.
Vin Diesel is reuniting with his Riddick writer-director David Twohy for the fourth installment of the action franchise, Riddick: Furya, according to Deadline. The plot for the new film reads like this: “Riddick finally returns to his home world, a place he barely remembers and one he fears might be left in ruins by the Necromongers. But there he finds other Furyans fighting for their existence against a new enemy. And some of these Furyans are more like Riddick than he could have ever imagined,” per Deadline. The Riddick series launched in 2000 with Pitch Black, followed by 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick and 2013’s Riddick…
Cody Longo, the actor best known for playing Nicholas “Nikki” Alamain in the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, was found dead in his home in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, his rep tells Variety, confirming a story first reported by TMZ. He was 34. Police were reportedly called to check in on Longo at the home by his wife while she was working at a local dance studio, according to TMZ. An official cause of death has not been revealed. Longo’s other credits include films like Ball Don’t Lie and the 2009 Fame reboot. The actor also secured recurring roles on shows such as ABC Family’s Make It or Break It and Nick at Nite’s Hollywood Heights…
After getting canceled at Netflix, Showtime has saved Uncoupled, picking it up the series for a second season and possibly more, according to Deadline. Uncoupled stars Neil Patrick Harris as a gay man in his mid-40s navigating the single life in New York City after he was unceremoniously dumped by his partner of 17 years. Tisha Campbell, Brooks Ashmanskas, Emerson Brooks and Marcia Gay Harden also star…
HBO has pulled the plug on Avenue C after two seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series starred Hugh Laurie as Ryan Clark, the captain of the titular spaceship that shuttles people to destinations all over the universe. The show’s second and now final season aired its finale on Nov. 28. Avenue C also starred Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Nikki Amuka, Rebecca Front, Lenora Crichlow, Suzy Nakamura and Ethan Phillips…
There was no shortage of A-list celebrities in this year’s Super Bowl commercials, which also featured a bit of nostalgia.
Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper and Will Ferrell were just a few of the stars hawking everything from Pepsi Zero Sugar and T-Mobile to General Motors.
Cooper teamed up with his mom Gloria to promote T-Mobile‘s 5G network, which didn’t go quite as well as the advertiser expected. Another T-Mobile spot featured John Travolta revisiting his Danny Zuko character from Grease, with some help from Zach Braff and Donald Faison, who performed an updated version of “Summer Nights” that touted the company’s home Internet service.
Affleck showed his love for Dunkin’ by working at one of their Massachusetts locations, only to get caught by his famous wife, Jennifer Lopez, who scolds, “Is this what you do when you say you’re going to work all day?”
Ferrell helped GM spread the message that Netflix is supporting the automaker’s move toward electric vehicles by featuring more of them in the streamer’s movies and TV shows.
Rockers Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Clark Jr., Joan Jett, Billy Idol and KISS‘ Paul Stanley were featured in an ad for the software company Workday calling out business executives for referring to themselves as “rock stars.”
Breaking Bad alums Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul reprised their respective roles as chemistry teacher-turned-meth dealer Walter White and former-student-turned-apprentice Jesse Pinkman for PopCorners air-popped snack.
Halloween Ends‘ Danny McBride demonstrated how Downey Unstoppables kept clothes fresher longer.
Melissa McCarthy took a musical tour of hotels, vacation rentals and wigs on behalf of Booking.com.
A month after M&Ms candy named Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph as the new face of the company, replacing the spokescandies, we learned the move was just a gag, setting up a faux press conference in which the candies announced their return.
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania teamed up with Heinekin for a campaign that focused on drinking responsibly.
Adam Driver discovered that Squarespace is a website that makes websites in the Big Game commercial.
Steve Martin and Ben Stiller appeared in a pair of Pepsi ads demonstrating the difference between “Great Acting” and “Great Taste.”
Clueless Star Alicia Silverstone returned as Cher Horowitz in a Super Bowl Ad for Rakuten.
Amy Schumer, Doja Cat and Giannis Antetokounmpo hawked the latest version of Google’s smartphone, the Pixel.
Snoop Dogg demonstrated how Skechers slip-on footwear helped him navigate his busy lifestyle.
Jennifer Coolidge teamed up with e.l.f. Cosmetics on the brand’s first-ever Super Bowl spot highlighting its viral Power Grip Primer.
As for the game, the Kansas City Chiefs outscored the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
Sure, the Super Bowl was a big night for football, but it was a huge night for superhero movie fans, with coming attractions for two of the most-anticipated movies of 2023.
Recently, newly-minted DC Films co-CEO James Gunn called The Flash one of the best superhero movies he’s ever seen, and the brand-new trailer shows it might not have been hyperbole.
The sneak peek shows Ezra Miller, who returns as the title character, aka Barry Allen, using his abilities to travel back in time to save his mother. But tinkering with the past never ends well, as he’s reminded by none other than Batman — or, more accurately, Batmen: Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck.
Barry’s timeline-skipping unleashes Michael Shannon‘s General Zod from 2013’s Man of Steel. “I completely broke the universe…and now there’s no one to defend us,” Allen laments.
“Want some help?” Keaton says, before revealing himself in all his Dark Knight-suited glory.
Allen stammers, “You…you are…”
“I’m Batman,” Keaton says in a callback to the 1989 classic.
The trailer also shows both Batmen doing battle, and also the introduction of Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Superman, aka Supergirl, played by Sasha Calle.
Incidentally, the trailer for Gunn’s final Guardians of the Galaxy film also dropped during the Big Game, teasing the “last ride” of Chris Pratt‘s Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña‘s Gamora, Bradley Cooper‘s Rocket, and the rest of their misfit “family.”
The trailer introduces the bad guy, Peacemaker veteran Chukwudi Iwuji‘s High Evolutionary, who seeks “to create the perfect society” by subjecting living creatures, including a baby Rocket, to brutal experiments.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 debuts May 5; The Flash runs into theaters June 16.
Pam Smart and Bella Gonzalez, who she taught English and became best friends with embrace at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. – Miles Cohen/ABC News
(BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y.) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court will decide on Tuesday whether to grant Pamela Smart a chance at a hearing that could put her on a path to freedom.
Smart was convicted in 1991 at age 22 of persuading her teenage lover, Billy Flynn, to kill her husband. She met Flynn, then a student, through her work in a New Hampshire school district. Soon after their affair began, Flynn fatally shot her husband, Gregg Smart, in the head.
The press flocked to Exeter, a small New Hampshire town, to cover the case against Smart. Her trial, three years before that of O.J. Simpson’s, was one of the first to be broadcast live — and Smart quickly became the center of a saga that led to a fervor for true crime and an era of televised trials.
Smart has now spent more than 32 years behind bars for conspiring to kill her husband. Flynn, who pulled the trigger, has been out of prison for nearly a decade.
Her accomplices, including three other teenagers who were charged as adults in the killing, cooperated with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to lesser charges. They have all been released from prison. Smart was convicted at trial of accomplice to murder in the first degree and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Smart’s Feb. 14 hearing will be the first time that she has had a chance to challenge the state’s repeated denials to make a case for her release.
Smart maintains that she did not ask Flynn to murder her husband — a factor the New Hampshire attorney general’s office and her prosecutor from trial have said disqualify her from mercy. Smart says she does feel responsible for Gregg Smart’s death but did not orchestrate his murder. Had she not had an affair, her husband would still be alive, she told ABC News.
If the court rules in favor of her on Tuesday, Smart will have a chance to stand before the governor and his executive council to ask for a commutation — which is a reduction of a sentence, often for good behavior, as opposed to a pardon which absolves someone of their crime.
For Smart, who has exhausted all of her opportunities to appeal her sentence, a commutation remains her only hope to one day get out of prison.
“In some respects the pieces are finally coming together,” Smart, now 55, told ABC News on a phone call from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York two weeks before the hearing.
“It feels like the last straw, the last stand,” she said. “If this doesn’t work out, what is there after this?”
In 1993, Smart was transferred from a New Hampshire prison to Bedford Hills where she has been ever since.
When she arrived at the maximum security prison, she found many people there knew about her case. In 1995, those who hadn’t watched her trial learned about it from “To Die For,” a Hollywood film starring Nicole Kidman, who played Smart.
She says her reputation has followed her for years.
In one instance, she says, a prison guard in 2003 leaked photos of Smart to the National Enquirer of her kneeling on her bed in her underwear, which sparked a new wave of headlines.
“It was like a nightmare my first 10 years here,” Smart said.
It was during that time Smart leaned into her studies. She began working on the first of three graduate degrees — two master’s, in law and English literature, and a doctorate in ministry.
She also worked as a teacher’s aide and, for those who needed extra help on her cell block, she taped a tutoring schedule to the unit’s bulletin board.
When Bella Gonzalez, 17, first arrived at Bedford Hills, Smart encouraged her to sign up for a slot.
“She gave me a new word for my vocabulary every day,” said Gonzalez, who at first spoke very little English.
The two became close over their nearly 20 years in prison together. They played softball — Smart in center field and Gonzalez at first base — and they cried when Gonzalez’s mom died. They also wept when Smart lost her appeals.
Both young women confided in each other about their dreams of motherhood; for Gonzalez a possibility, for Smart a foregone conclusion.
In 2005, the first two accomplices in Gregg Smart’s murder were paroled. Vance Lattime Jr, the getaway driver who supplied the weapon, and Raymond Fowler, who helped plot the murder, were released from prison. That same year, Smart was denied her first request for a commutation hearing.
While incarcerated at Rikers Island, Kelly Harnett had already heard that Smart was an effective jailhouse lawyer. But when she arrived at Bedford Hills in 2015 she found it was impossible to get a meeting with her.
“People would even follow her into the shower” to ask about their cases, she said.
Later that year, Flynn and another accomplice Pete Randall, who held the knife to Gregg Smart’s throat, were released from prison.
In 2018, New Hampshire rejected Smart’s second attempt for a 15-minute hearing with the governor to review her sentence. By that point, all of Smart’s appeals had been denied. Her friends, including Gonzalez, had been released and gone home. Gonzalez later had a daughter; she named her Pamela.
During a recent interview at Bedford Hills, Smart said she worried her ailing mother, Linda Wojas, 81, who has fought to clear her daughter’s name, would die.
“One day someone is going to walk in here, sit down where you are, and tell me my mom is dead,” said Smart. “I just want to go home so she has one night knowing I’m free.”
In 2021, Smart compiled three decades of evidence to support what may be her last request for a commutation hearing. She said she handpicked hundreds of letters written by prison leadership and inmates who say she changed the trajectory of their lives. She turned in copies of her three degrees, and attached at least 28 certificates for completion of rehabilitation programs.
On March 23, 2022 — in less than three minutes — New Hampshire’s Executive Council unanimously recommended that Gov. Chris Sununu again deny Smart a hearing.
A commutation would “demean the value” of her slain husband, one member of the council reasoned. There was no mention of Smart’s rehabilitation efforts, the basis for Smart’s attorney’s argument on Tuesday when he will challenge the decision.
Smart thought back to the council’s brief comments.
“In two years, my release is still gonna ‘demean’ Gregg’s life. In four years. In 87 years. That can never change. So what’s the point?” she told ABC News. “If I’m not rehabilitated, when will I be?”
(WASHINGTON) — Organizations across the globe may be largely flying blind in responding to cybersecurity threats, according to a new report from cyber intelligence experts.
A survey of cybersecurity leaders from both public and private sectors found that 79% of them worked at organizations that made security decisions without insights into who may be targeting them, according to Mandiant Intelligence, an arm of Google’s cloud computing services.
The Mandiant Intelligence report, released on Monday, nonetheless also found that 96% of cybersecurity leaders were satisfied with the quality of their threat intelligence despite their self-reported gaps in security awareness. Nearly all of those surveyed acknowledged needing to be more nimble when it comes to responding to malicious hackers.
“A conventional, check-the-box mindset isn’t enough to defend against today’s well-resourced and dynamic adversaries,” Mandiant Intelligence Vice President Sandra Joyce said in a statement. “Security teams are outwardly confident, but often struggle to keep pace with the rapidly changing threat landscape.”
The report underscores critical threats in the cybersecurity landscape from both anonymous hackers and known entities who may be operating in the shadows.
U.S. and South Korean officials issued a joint warning last week that hackers backed by the North Korean government have conducted extensive ransomware attacks on health care providers and other organizations.
Ransomware is a particularly malicious form of cyber intrusion where digital systems and databases are held hostage with demands of electronic payment. U.S. officials previously alleged that North Korea uses money from ransomware operations to fund its pursuit of nuclear weapons and development of ballistic missiles.
The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced sanctions against several ransomware hackers linked to Russia whom officials believe targeted critical infrastructure in the U.S., U.K. and Ukraine. The individuals were part of the hacker group known as Trickbot which targeted U.S. hospitals and health care centers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to the Treasury Department.
The cybersecurity report released Monday suggested that public and private sector organizations may be more at risk than they think.
The majority of cybersecurity decision-makers, 67%, believe their senior leadership teams underestimate cyberthreats, the report found. Similarly, more than two-thirds of those surveyed believe their organizations should improve their understanding of hackers who pose a threat to their digital systems.
(NEW YORK) — More than 36,000 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb. 6, according to officials.
The pre-dawn quake was centered in the town of Pazarcik in Turkey’s southeastern Kahramanmaras province and was followed by several powerful aftershocks. Thousands of buildings were toppled on both sides of the border, and the death toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched for survivors in the massive piles of rubble.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 13, 6:38 AM EST
More than 100 arrest warrants issued in Turkey over collapsed buildings
Turkish authorities have issued at least 113 arrest warrants as of Monday in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed in southeastern Turkey last week during the massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks.
The warrants are targeting contractors who are allegedly linked to the collapsed buildings.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Feb 13, 6:30 AM EST
Death toll reaches 36,000 in Turkey, Syria
Last week’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 31,643 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 4,581 people were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Feb 12, 2:09 PM EST
Death toll surpasses 33,000 in Turkey, Syria
More than 33,000 people are dead in Turkey and Syria as a result of last week’s earthquake and aftershocks, officials said.
At least 29,605 people had died in Turkey, officials announced Sunday. More than 3,500 have died in Syria, local officials said late Sunday.
Another 80,000 people have been injured, officials said.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres
Feb 11, 9:36 AM EST
Death toll rises to over 25,000 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed more than 25,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
“In addition to the already collapsed buildings, the other ones whose number can be expressed in hundreds of thousands have also become uninhabitable due to their damages. So far, the total loss of life in the earthquake area has reached 21,043 and the number of injured rose to 80,097,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said.
121 citizens were pulled alive from the rubble over the past 24 hours, according to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.
In Syria, the death toll has risen to over 3,500.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres
Feb 10, 12:45 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 22,000 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have claimed at least 22,895 lives.
In Turkey, at least 19,388 people were killed and more than 77,000 others were injured, according to officials.
Meanwhile, at least 3,507 people were killed and 7,115 others were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
Feb 09, 5:57 PM EST
121 Turkish citizens rescued in past 24 hours, official says
As the desperate search for survivors continues, 121 Turkish citizens have been pulled from the rubble alive in the past 24 hours, Vice President Fuat Oktay said Thursday.
The search and rescue operations in Kilis and Şanlıurfa provinces have been completed, and they are almost complete in Adana, Osmaniye and Diyarbakır provinces, Oktay said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 09, 4:54 PM EST
More than 21,000 killed
More than 21,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria since a massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks rocked the region on Monday, according to officials. At least 17,674 were killed in Turkey while another 3,377 lives were lost in Syria.
The Associated Press reported that the rising death toll is now higher than the number of people who died as a result of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region, which caused the nuclear accident in Fukushima.
Feb 09, 3:55 PM EST
USAID announces $85 million for earthquake relief
The United States Agency for International Development is providing $85 million in “urgent humanitarian assistance” that will go toward shelter, “food, medicine and other desperately needed aid to those in need” in Turkey and Syria, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced Thursday on Twitter.
This comes as American responders are “leading the search for survivors” in Adiyaman, Turkey, said USAID spokesperson Jessica Jennings.
“Using sensitive cameras, listening devices, and search-and-rescue dogs, the team is able to target their search for survivors more accurately,” she said.
In Syria, Jennings said access to some of the hardest-hit areas remains “extremely challenging” due to damage to infrastructure, the security situation and weather concerns. However, she said that as of Thursday, one USAID partner was able to move six truckloads of supplies into the country.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 09, 1:46 PM EST
Syria in need of more help: ‘It’s like a drop in the ocean’
Members of the International Medical Corps dispatched to impacted areas of Syria have “started crying on the phone when I asked them what it was like,” Wafaa Sadek, country director for International Medical Corps in Syria, told ABC News.
“People everywhere on the streets. The weather is absolutely freezing. They don’t have anywhere to go. The children are screaming. Adults screaming,” Sadek said. “The situation is very, very bad.”
Sadek said her team told her of a little girl in Aleppo who was shouting, “Please, somebody get me out! I will serve you for the rest of my life, just get me out of here, please.”
Sadek said she wants to see more international help for Syria. She’s calling for sanctions to be lifted so more aid can get through.
“This is a humanitarian crisis,” Sadek said. “We should put our differences aside.”
Sadek stressed, “Syria is very much in need. The help which has come from all the over the world is much appreciated, but we really need a lot more. It’s like a drop in the ocean.”
-ABC News’ Zoe Magee
Feb 09, 12:21 PM EST
More than 20,000 killed
More than 20,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria since a massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks rocked the region on Monday, according to officials. At least 16,710 were killed in Turkey while another 3,317 lives were lost in Syria.
Feb 09, 5:49 AM EST
Death toll exceeds 17,000 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 14,014 people and injured more than 63,000 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Meanwhile, at least 3,162 were killed and over 5,600 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
Feb 08, 10:32 PM EST
CAIR-NY says former board member and his family were killed in earthquake
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New York chapter tweeted Wednesday that a former board member, Burak Firik, along with his wife and two children were killed in Turkey during the earthquake.
A CAIR-NY representative told ABC News that the family, from Queens, was in Turkey to take care of Firik’s father, who was having health issues.
Feb 08, 8:20 PM EST
Death toll surpasses 15,000
Turkey Emergency Management (AFAD) is reporting 12,391 deaths from the earthquake in Turkey, while the Syrian Health Ministry and White Helmets say 2,962 people are dead in Syria.
According to Turkey Emergency Management, there have been 62,914 people injured in Turkey.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Feb 08, 5:21 PM EST
3 Americans killed in Turkey by earthquake: State Department
Three U.S. citizens have been identified as among the more than 12,000 victims of the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria this week, the State Department confirmed Wednesday.
“We can confirm reports of at least three U.S. citizens killed in southeastern Türkiye,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Our staff in Türkiye and here in the United States are working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to these victims and their family members.”
The State Department is working closely with local authorities and other partner organizations to assist U.S. citizens in affected areas, the spokesperson added.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 08, 2:57 PM EST
Death toll tops 12,000 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll in Monday’s earthquake is now up to 12,019, according to authorities in Turkey and Syria.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 9,057 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the Turkey Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 2,962 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Will Gretsky
Feb 08, 2:41 PM EST
Biden offers ‘deepest condolences’ to Turkey, Syria
President Joe Biden offered his thoughts and prayers on behalf of Americans following the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria during an event in Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s one of the worst earthquakes in that region in over 100 years and we mourn the loss of so many lives and we offer our deepest condolences,” he said.
Biden also commented on the “amazing” rescue efforts underway.
“You see dads or moms pulling little babies out from underneath this rubble,” he said. “So many people dying. And our thoughts are also with the survivors who’ve been torn apart by this tragedy.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Feb 08, 12:50 PM EST
Turkey stock exchange suspended
Istanbul’s stock exchange operator suspended trading for five days in an unprecedented step and announced that all trades that took place on Wednesday would be canceled in the wake of the earthquake.
“Due to the increase in volatility and extraordinary price movements after the earthquake disaster; in order to ensure the reliable, transparent, efficient, stable, fair and competitive functioning of the markets, Equity Market and Equity & Index Derivatives in the Derivatives Market have been closed,” Borsa Istanbul, the stock exchange operator, said in a statement on Wednesday.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 08, 10:46 AM EST
Death toll tops 11,500 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll in Monday’s earthquake is now up to 11,577, according to authorities in Turkey and Syria.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 9,057 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the Turkey Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 2,520 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Feb 08, 9:16 AM EST
Over 600 aftershocks since Monday’s quake
Since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey before dawn on Monday, there have been a total of at least 648 aftershocks in the region.
Feb 08, 6:17 AM EST
Death toll tops 11,000 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 8,574 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Meanwhile, at least 2,520 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
Feb 07, 10:42 PM EST
CENTCOM prepares to support quake relief efforts
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that it is prepared to support the earthquake relief efforts.
CENTCOM said it’s working with U.S. European Command to work through options to send support to the hard-hit country.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Feb 07, 10:31 PM EST
70 countries, 14 international organizations offer aid to Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that approximately 70 countries and 14 international organizations have offered aid to Turkey.
The United Nations announced a $25 million grant from the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund to help “provide urgent life-saving assistance in the region,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general of the United Nations, said Tuesday.
The U.S. is sending two American urban search and rescue teams with 170,000 pounds of specialized tools and equipment to impacted regions in Turkey.
According to the E.U., 19 member countries, including Croatia, Estonia, France, Spain and Greece, have offered support to Turkey.
Greece sent a team of 21 rescuers, two rescue dogs and a special rescue vehicle, along with a structural engineer, five doctors and seismic planning experts in a military transport plane to Turkey, according to The Associated Press.
Israel sent the IDF Medical and a delegation from the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Health to southern Turkey on Wednesday to create a “field hospital” and provide additional support.
According to the Russian news service Interfax, Russia sent rescue teams from the Emergency Ministry to help with cleanup efforts in Syria on Tuesday.
China will provide $6 million in aid to Turkey, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The country will also deploy “heavy urban rescue teams and medical teams” to provide “relief materials urgently needed” by the Turkish.
Mexico sent rescue teams to Turkey to assist with humanitarian recovery efforts from the earthquake, including 16 of their search and rescue dogs.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, Jordana Miller, Shannon Crawford, Christine Theodorou, Natalia Shumskaia, Anastasia Bagaeva and Emma Ogao
Feb 07, 4:17 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 7,700 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 7,766 according to officials.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 5,894 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 1,872 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 3:45 PM EST
Baby born in earthquake rubble in Syria
A baby girl has been rescued after she was born amid the earthquake rubble in Jindires, Syria, according to The Associated Press.
None of her family survived, according to the AP.
Feb 07, 3:43 PM EST
4-year-old girl pulled from rubble
A 4 year-old girl has been pulled from the rubble of a destroyed building, 42 hours after the devastating earthquake struck.
The little girl, named Beyza, is in good health, the Antalya Municipality Search and Rescue Team told ABC News.
Her parents remain trapped in the building.
-ABC News’ Marcus Moore
Feb 07, 3:09 PM EST
American search and rescue teams to start work Wednesday
Stephen Allen, USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team leader for the agency’s earthquake response, said his top priority is getting two American urban search and rescue teams to the region.
“Every hour does count in the first few days,” he said.
The responders are en route to Turkey, where they are expected to land at Incirlik Air Base in Adana Wednesday morning local time, Allen said. They’ll immediately start the long journey to Adıyaman, a city in southeastern Turkey that’s been heavily impacted by the quake, but has not had access to many search and rescue teams, Allen said.
The Americans are bringing about 170,000 pounds of specialized tools and equipment, including hydraulic concrete breaking gear, saws, torches, drills and advanced medical supplies to treat and triage the wounded, he said. They will also have about a dozen dogs who Allen said will play a “very key” role in looking for survivors strapped in the rubble.
Sending search and rescue teams to a disaster site so far away is “not something that we would normally do, frankly,” he said, however Turkey officials asked for assistance because its own considerable national search and rescue capabilities are outmatched by the “size and scale” of the devastation.
“I do need to emphasize the level of devastation, the level of damage, and the expected result in loss of life is massive. It’s massive,” he said.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 07, 2:37 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 7,000 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 7,266, according to officials.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 5,434 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 1,832 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 1:24 PM EST
Mexico sends rescue dogs to Turkey
Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard tweeted photos and videos of rescue dogs headed from Mexico to Turkey to help with the rescue operations.
Feb 07, 1:08 PM EST
Major port suffers damage in earthquake
The Port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey sustained heavy damage on Monday.
The port, located on the Mediterranean coast in the southern province of Hatay, was damaged due to the earthquake that struck Turkey and neighboring Syria.
“The Port of Iskenderun remains closed until further notice, as teams look to repair the significant damage caused by the disaster and subsequent fire,” shipping group AP Moller Maersk said in a statement Tuesday. “We are currently unable to say exactly how long operations will be stopped at the port, but we will keep customers informed of the latest developments as soon as possible.”
Maersk said it was not accepting any new bookings to or from the port and were developing contingency plans with nearby hubs.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 12:41 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 6,200 in Turkey, Syria
The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 6,256, according to officials.
The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 4,544 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Meanwhile, at least 1,712 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 11:02 AM EST
Professional soccer player among the injured
Christian Atsu, a professional soccer player for the Turkish team Hatayspor, was among the more than 8,000 people rescued from the rubble in Turkey, according to his team.
Atsu was injured in the quake. The sporting director for Atsu’s team remains under the rubble, according to a team vice president.
Atsu was on Ghana’s 2014 World Cup team and also played for Newcastle United in the English Premier League.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 07, 9:16 AM EST
150,000 people left homeless in Turkey
At least 150,000 people in Turkey have been left homeless due to Monday’s deadly earthquake and aftershocks, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Feb 07, 9:13 AM EST
Twenty-three million people affected in Turkey, Syria
Some 23 million people in Turkey and Syria have been affected by Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks, according to Turkish and Syrian authorities.
About 13.5 million of them are in Turkey, according to Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by snow and freezing temperatures in the 10 affected Turkish provinces, Kurum said during a press conference Tuesday in the city of Gaziantep, near the quake’s epicenter.
Feb 07, 9:00 AM EST
Turkey declares three-month state of emergency
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared a disaster zone in the 10 southeastern provinces affected by the devastating earthquakes, imposing a state of emergency in the region for at least three months.
Erdogan said 70 countries have offered to help with the search and rescue operations in Turkey and that his government plans to open up hotels in the southwestern resort city of Antalya to temporarily house people impacted by the disaster.
Feb 07, 7:32 AM EST
Over 8,000 people rescued in Turkey
More than 8,000 people have been rescued in southeastern Turkey since a powerful earthquake and aftershocks struck the region, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Some 24,000 first responders are on the ground, including more than 3,200 first responders from 14 other countries who traveled to Turkey to assist with the massive search and rescue effort following Monday’s quake. They are carefully combing through the wreckage and looking for survivors amid the 6,000 buildings that have been either damaged or destroyed, according to Oktay.
Feb 07, 7:04 AM EST
Death toll tops 5,000
Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 3,419 people and injured another 20,534 in southeastern Turkey, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay announced during a press conference on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, at least 1,603 were killed and 3,649 injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health, the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
Feb 07, 6:41 AM EST
ABC News witnesses rescue operation in Diyarbakir, Turkey
More than 24 hours after devastating earthquakes, ABC News reporters on the ground are witnessing the fevered effort to rescue survivors at a collapsed apartment building in southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir.
ABC News learned that crews had recently rescued a woman from what used to be an eight-story apartment building, where the top half now rests on three flattened floors below. The front wall had fallen away, exposing what used to be homes with furniture, pillows and air conditioning units.
In and around the collapsed building, there was a flurry of activity — but then a moment when it all came to a grinding halt. Generators were turned off, everyone stopped talking and the block went silent. Search and rescue teams thought they may have found another survivor. It was quiet for several minutes, but then the urgent effort returns.
Rescuers continued working in the cold, wet weather while also facing the threat of aftershocks. None of that has deterred them. They know this is a race against time.
Feb 06, 9:39 PM EST
More than 4,000 people dead in Turkey, Syria following earthquake: AFAD
The death toll continues to climb in Turkey and Syria 24 hours after the earthquake struck.
More than 4,300 people have died in the two countries following the devastating earthquake, officials said.
According to the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Management Organization (AFAD), 2,921 people have died in the country from the earthquake, with 15,834 people sustaining injuries.
Approximately 6,217 buildings have collapsed and about 7,840 people have been rescued from the debris and rubble, according to AFAD officials.
In Syria, 1,411 people have died since the earthquake struck the region, officials said.
Feb 06, 6:12 PM EST
Biden calls Erdogan, offers support following quake
President Biden called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this afternoon, following the earthquake that caused devastation in Turkey and Syria, the White House said.
Biden extended condolences and “reaffirmed the readiness of the United States to provide any and all needed assistance to our NATO Ally [Turkey] in response to this tragedy,” according to the White House.
“[Biden] noted that U.S. teams are deploying quickly to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate other assistance that may be required by people affected by the earthquakes, including health services or basic relief items,” the White House said.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Feb 06, 5:16 PM EST
No US citizens among Turkey casualties so far: State Dept.
State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday that while the department has not confirmed that any Americans were killed in the recent earthquakes abroad, officials were “realistic” about the high chances of that changing.
“We’re all very sober about the implications of this and the fact that many countries, many nationalities are likely to be implicated just given the massive toll and destruction that this earthquake has cost,” Price said.
In the meantime, he confirmed that all State Department staff in Turkey are accounted for.
The American consulate in Adana, Turkey, would be able to host first responders coming in from foreign countries, Price added.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Feb 06, 4:54 PM EST
13,000 injured in Turkey
As the death toll climbs to 2,316 in Turkey, another 13,000 people in the country are reported to be injured, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
At least 5,606 buildings in Turkey have been completely destroyed, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 06, 4:25 PM EST
Death toll climbs to 3,700
At least 3,727 lives have been lost in the devastating quake.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 2,379 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
In Syria, at least 1,411 people died in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Feb 06, 2:04 PM EST
Death toll climbs over 2,700
At least 2,701 lives have been lost in the devastating quake.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to Turkish Emergency Management.
In Syria, at least 1,050 people died in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
Feb 06, 1:28 PM EST
Turkey declares seven days of mourning
Turkey has declared a seven-day mourning period in the wake of the devastating quake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in all our country and foreign representations,” Erdogan said.
More than 3,400 buildings in Turkey have been destroyed and over 11,000 people are hurt, according to Turkish officials.
Feb 06, 1:19 PM EST
US deploying two search and rescue teams
The U.S. is deploying two 79-person urban search and rescue teams to Turkey, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
“The president has authorized an immediate U.S. response. So right now, in addition to personnel currently on the ground, we are in the process of deploying additional teams, including two 79-person urban search and rescue teams, to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and to help address the needs of all those who have been hurt or displaced by the earthquake,” Kirby said.
Feb 06, 12:40 PM EST
Death toll nears 2,500
At least 2,494 people have died in Turkey and Syria.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency.
In Syria, at least 843 people have been killed in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
Feb 06, 11:34 AM EST
No casualties on US base
There are no known casualties among U.S. personnel assigned to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, and no major damage to facilities, a base spokesperson told ABC News.
The base is roughly 125 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter.
The 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik “is still mission operational,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The Air Force is prepared to assist Turkey if called upon, according to the spokesperson.
Feb 06, 11:03 AM EST
More than 4,200 buildings destroyed
More than 2,800 buildings across Turkey have been completely destroyed, according to Turkey’s Emergency Management Agency, while over 1,400 buildings were demolished in Syria, according the Syrian Civil Defense Agency.
At least 45 nations have pledged to send volunteers and other aid to Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Feb 06, 10:45 AM EST
Death toll climbs to 2,300
At least 2,343 people have died in Turkey and Syria.
The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,500 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency.
In Syria, at least 843 people have been killed in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
Feb 06, 9:54 AM EST
Biden ‘deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation’
President Joe Biden tweeted that he’s “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation” from the earthquake.
“I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkey and provide any and all needed assistance,” he tweeted.
Feb 06, 9:14 AM EST
UK deploys emergency response teams to Turkey
The United Kingdom announced Monday it is “immediately” deploying emergency response teams to Turkey to assist rescue efforts following a deadly earthquake and powerful aftershocks.
According to a press release from the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 76 U.K. search and rescue specialists, four search dogs as well as rescue equipment will arrive in Turkey on Monday evening. A U.K. emergency medical team is also being sent to assess the situation on the ground.
“We stand ready to provide further support as needed,” U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.
In northwestern Syria, where the quake was also felt, the U.K.-aid funded volunteer organization White Helmets has activated a significant search and rescue response and mobilized all its resources to respond to emerging needs. The U.K. government is in contact with the United Nations on emergency humanitarian support to those affected in Syria, according to the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
“The British Embassy in Ankara is in close contact with the Turkish authorities to understand how we can best support those on the ground,” Jill Morris, British Ambassador-Designate to Türkiye said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the earthquakes today We pay tribute to the brave Turkish first responders working to save lives.”
The U.K. government’s announcement came on the heels of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) declaring a “level 4 alarm” in the wake of the pre-dawn earthquake, calling for international assistance.
Feb 06, 7:25 AM EST
Monday’s quake was as powerful as the strongest ever recorded in Turkey
Monday’s deadly earthquake in Turkey, which was felt in Syria and other surrounding countries, was as strong as the most powerful one on record in Turkish history.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Turkey in 1939, killing approximately 30,000 people. Monday’s quake in southeastern Turkey had the same magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Earthquakes frequently occur in Turkey, which is situated on top of major fault lines.
Some 18,000 people were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwestern Turkey in 1999.
Feb 06, 7:02 AM EST
7.5 magnitude aftershock hits Turkey
Several hours after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey early Monday, a powerful aftershock measuring 7.5 hit the country’s Kahramanmaras province around 1:30 p.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Feb 06, 5:42 AM EST
Death toll jumps to over 1,200 in Turkey, Syria
Monday’s earthquake has killed at least 912 people in several Turkish provinces and injured 5,382 others, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced during a press conference.
Thousands of buildings were destroyed, Erdogan said.
Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD, is deploying 1,898 search and rescue workers along with 150 vehicles in response to the deadly earthquake. Turkey’s national police force has deployed 130 tactical unit members with mobile command centers and kitchens to the city of Kahramanmaras, near the quake’s epicenter. A total of 300,000 blankets were also sent to the region, which is deep in winter weather.
Meanwhile, at least 239 people were killed and some 600 were injured in government-held areas of Syria, according to Syrian state media. In rebel-controlled areas, at least 147 people were killed, according to the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a United Kingdom-based monitoring group, put the overall death toll at 320.
Feb 06, 12:12 AM EST
US ‘profoundly concerned’ by ‘destructive earthquake’ in Turkey, Syria
The United States “is profoundly concerned” by the reports of the “destructive earthquake” in Turkey and Syria, and “will continue to closely monitor the situation,” U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement late Sunday night.
“We stand ready to provide any and all needed assistance,” Sullivan added, noting that U.S. President Joe Biden “has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess U.S. response options to help those most affected.”
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake in Turkey at magnitude of 7.8.
