First photos show devastation in Turkey after 7.8 magnitude earthquake

As daylight settled over towns and refugee camps housing thousands of Syrians, rescue workers scoured the rubble as international aid groups and countries planned to send in resources. Photos showed a historic mosque in pieces after the quake, and local media reported that fires had broken out in some areas from damaged gas pipes.

The US Geological Survey added that many buildings in parts of Turkey near the quake’s epicenter were made of brick and concrete, making many towns “extremely vulnerable” to earthquakes.

The Syrian American Medical Society said a hospital in Idlib province was damaged in the tremors and needed to be evacuated. Tremors were felt across the Levant, including Lebanon and Israel, and the region was hit by several powerful aftershocks.

The United States has pledged to provide “all” necessary assistance, but photos and videos released Monday morning portend a long, slow recovery effort that will span all of Turkey and beyond.