More than 3,400 people were killed and tens of thousands were injured by a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that ripped through wide swaths of Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 7. The earthquake toppled thousands of buildings and trapped residents under piles of rubble.
While rescuers searched through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors, authorities feared the death toll would continue to rise. It struck in harsh weather before sunrise before sunrise, followed by another 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the afternoon.
As occurred with the first quake, the second also brought down many buildings, endangering rescuers who were trying to pull victims from the rubble.