Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge condole loss of lives in Turkey, Syria earthquakes

New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday expressed anguish over the loss of life and property in Turkey and Syria due to a massive earthquake.

“We are deeply saddened by the huge loss of life and property by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria,” Kharge said.

“In this hour of grief, every Indian stands with the affected people of both the countries. Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” he said on Twitter.

Gandhi said he was anguished by the news of lives lost in the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

“The global community must come together to ensure swift relief to the affected region. My thoughts are with families of those who have lost their loved ones,” he tweeted.

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 2,300 people.

Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.

On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy night. Buildings were reduced to piles of pancaked floors, and major aftershocks or new quakes, including one nearly as strong as the first, continued to rattle the region.