Cyprus hit with a ‘small tsunami’ off the coast of Famagusta and Italy issues an alert after an earthquake devastates Turkey

On Monday morning Turkey was hit with two powerful and devastating earthquakes measuring 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude which has caused widespread apocalyptic destruction.

The earthquake was powerful and shallow and was felt across the Middle East including Cyprus and Egypt some 800 miles away.

On Monday morning, to the geological survey director, Christodoulos Hadjigeorgiou said that a “small tsunami” was recorded off the coast of Famagusta.

Hadjigeorgiou told CyBC that there was an underwater landslide which could have been catastrophic, but the tsunami had caused no damage.

Turkey hit with two huge earthquakes leaving thousands injured and more than 1,400 dead which could ‘reach 10,000’

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar said his staff are in communication with the Turkish authorities.

Tatar said a crisis office has been set up and an emergency meeting of the “council of ministers” has been called.

Early on Monday morning Italy’s Civil Protection Department had issued a tsunami alert following the Turkish earthquake and residents were told to stay away from the coastlines.

Train traffic in the southern regions of Sicily, Calabria and Apulia was temporarily suspended as  precaution, but then later resumed after the Italian authorities had withdrawn the tsunami warning.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Gaziantep at 4.17 local time which is close to the Syrian border and thereafter many aftershocks hit measuring 5 on the Richter scale.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), and US Geological Survey (USGS), have both reported the second earthquake to hit Turkey.

The EMSC said the second earthquake hit north Turkey and 12 minutes later a 6 magnitude aftershock then struck.

The EMSC said, “Again, it is an difficult situation for populations. A major assistance will be required.”

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this is the worst disaster to hit Turkey since December 1939, and that so far 45 countries have offered help with search and rescue teams.

Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas affected.

He added, “We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.”

The USGS warned on Monday morning that the death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake could reach as high as 10,000 they estimate.