After 3 quakes, fresh earthquake of magnitude 5.9 jolts Turkey; death toll rises over 5,000

After three earthquakes jolted Turkey and Syria a day ago, fresh earthquake of magnitude 5.9 was reported on Tuesday in the early hours of morning. The quake struck central Turkey as per the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 2 km, EMSC said.

Death toll climbs over 5,000

The death toll in Turkey and in neighbouring Syria following powerful earthquakes on Monday rose to over 5,000. Turkey and Syria were hit by three consecutive devastating earthquakes of magnitude 7.8, 7.6 and 6.0 on Monday, reported Washington Post.

Three quakes jolted Turkey, Syria and neighbouring regions on Monday

Initially, a magnitude 7.8 quake struck early Monday at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey's Gaziantep province near the Syrian border, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the US Geological Survey said.

This was followed by a 7.5-magnitude quake around 130 kilometres north of Gaziantep, and with epicentre was in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras province in Turkey diaccording to the US Geological Survey. Tremors were also felt in several neighboring countries, including Lebanon and Syria.

The third earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale hit Goksun, Turkey on Monday. The earthquake -- felt as far away as Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Egypt -- occurred in Kahramanmaras province, north of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.

Officials and agencies confirmed that at least 4,372 deaths have been confirmed in Turkey and Syria and according to the World Health Organisaton (WHO) the toll could surpass 20,000 Turkey's toll rose to 2,921 as of Tuesday morning, according to Yunus Sezer, Turkey's head of disaster services.

Several deaths and injuries reported in Syria

A total of 15,834 injuries have been reported, Sezer said in a news conference in Ankara. In Syria, 1,451 deaths and 3,531 injuries have been reported by officials, reported CNN. Rescue efforts are ongoing, and the number of people killed, injured and displaced probably will climb, reported Washington Post.