By The Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey early Monday and was felt in several provinces and other parts of the Middle East.
The quake brought down several residential buildings, according to reports.
The US Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 20 miles from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital, and originated at a depth of 11 miles.
Another strong 6.7 tremor rumbled about 10 minutes later.
Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management agency, AFAD, said the quake measured 7.4 and was centered in the city of Pazarcik in Kahramanmaras province.
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The earthquake was also felt in Lebanon and Syria.
Syrian state media reported that
some buildings collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo
and the central city of Hama.
In rebel-held northwestern Syria, which borders Turkey, several buildings also collapsed, according to the opposition Syrian Civil Defense.
There are no immediate reports on deaths.
The quake knocked Lebanon's residents out of their beds and shook buildings for about 40 seconds.
Many Beirut residents left their homes and took to the streets or drove away from buildings in their cars.
Turkey sits on major tectonic plate fault lines and is frequently rocked by earthquakes.
Some 18,000 people died in the powerful earthquakes that struck northwestern Turkey in 1999.