 A major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkey in northwest Syria February 6 and killed at least 284 people, according to Turkish vice president Fyroktay who said at least 2,323 people had been injured and that 1,710 buildings were completely destroyed. Turkish authorities scrambled rescue teams and supply aircraft to the affected area while declaring a level 4 alarm that calls for international assistance. The quake, which hit in the early darkness of a winter morning, was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon. Turkish state broadcaster TRT showed rescue workers in Osmanay province using a blanket to carry an injured man out of a collapsed four-story building and putting him in an ambulance. He was the fifth to be pulled from the rubble, it said. Footage on broadcaster CNN Turk showed the historic Gaziantep Castle was severely damaged. President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by telephone with the governors of eight affected provinces to gather information on the situation and rescue efforts, his office said in a statement.