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Dozens Dead in Syria and Turkey after Major Earthquake; Trial Begins for Hong Kong's Pro-Democracy Leaders; Pope Francis Back in Rome After Visit to South Sudan. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired February 06, 2023 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LAILA HARRAK, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Laila Harrak, at CNN Center. We're covering breaking news out of the Middle East, where a major earthquake has killed dozens of people in Turkey and Syria.

[00:00:42]

The U.S. Geological Survey says the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude quake was in Turkey's Gaziantep province. At least 76 people are reported dead in Turkey, and search-and-rescue teams have been sent to the impacted region.

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency is calling for international support. And Syrian state media report at least 42 people have died in Syria, and hundreds are injured there.

Multiple buildings have collapsed in both countries. An after-shock, with a magnitude of 6.7, struck Northwest of the initial quake, about 11 minutes later. Multiple aftershocks have been reported.

Let's go back to CNN's Jomana Karadsheh in Istanbul for the very latest. People there where you are, waking up to this news. And people in the affected areas jolted out of their sleep.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This appears to be a really devastating earthquake, Laila, as you mentioned, impacting at least 10 provinces across Southeastern Turkey, as well as Northern Syria. Also reports beginning to emerge from that part of the country, as well.

When it comes to Turkey, we're hearing from the country's emergency disaster management agency, reporting that at least 76 people have been confirmed killed; hundreds of others injured. Several cities and towns that have been impacted by this earthquake and what they say are 42 aftershocks.

They say it was a 7.4 magnitude earthquake. This is according to Turkish authorities. And they say 42 aftershocks, the strongest being 6.6 magnitude.

They're -- they've mobilized all their teams to deal with this disaster right now. But they have also made a request for international assistance. According to the agency AFAB (ph), they say that the level of this earthquake was declared as the fourth level, and international assistance has been requested through the emergency resource coordinator center. That's the European Union's humanitarian program.

And of course, right now, they say their top priority is the search- and-rescue operations. Sunrise right now, so we expect that we are going to be getting more information about the extent of the damage over this vast area of Southeastern Turkey and, unfortunately as we're seeing, the death toll is continuing to rise, with at least 76 just in a number of cities in Southeastern Turkey have been killed so far.

Hundreds of others injured, many buildings destroyed.

We're also getting reports from Syria. We're getting reports from the Syrian regime for regime-controlled areas, where they say the provinces of Hama, Latakia and Aleppo have been impacted by this earthquake, more than 40 people confirmed killed, and hundreds of others injured, in those areas.

We're also hearing from Northern Syria, and the rebel-held parts of Syria, as well, according to the rescue group the White Helmets, the Syrian civil defense in that area.

There are dozens -- there are dozens of casualties. Hundreds of people believed to be under the rubble. And that they are working to deal with this catastrophic situation, really, for a part of the world that is in dire need of all the support and help it can get.

Really not equipped to deal with this sort of a natural disaster like this. Of course, when you look at Turkey, this is a country that is no stranger to earthquakes. It has dealt with many many, many devastating earthquakes over the years. And Turkey right now saying this is a level four emergency. They have activated all their search-and-rescue teams, also providing medical assistance and support to people who have been impacted.

And then they're going to have to provide shelter, of course, for many people whose homes have been destroyed, people who can't go into their homes, as well, right now because of the fear of buildings collapsing as a result of these continuing aftershocks.

[00:05:08]

And you've got Turkey right now, saying that it is requesting international assistance to deal with this emergency. So again, a lot of concern, as well, for Syria, a country that is really not equipped already to deal with this sort of situation after more than a decade of war that has decimated the infrastructure of that country.

So we'll wait and hear, of course, to see what aid agencies will be mobilizing to deal with the impact of that quake on the other side of the border, as well.

HARRAK: So Jomana, we're looking at a potential humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of this historic earthquake that is rippled throughout the region, affected at least three countries.

As you were reporting, we are showing footage of search-and-rescue crews, trying to look for survivors and dramatic footage there of also somebody being pulled out of the rubble. How equipped are Turkish first-responders to deal with a quake of this size, of this scale?

KARADSHEH: I mean, this is a country that has dealt with so many devastating quakes. Tens of thousands of people have been killed over the years in multiple devastating earthquakes. The last that many here would remember was in 1999, where tens of thousands of people were killed in that earthquake.

They are always preparing for the worst. They are always expecting -- this is a country that sits on multiple fault lines. This is a country that has been hit by earthquakes. You have the capabilities. You have the teams that are not only deployed usually to deal with earthquakes in this country. Turkey is one of the first countries to offer assistance and send teams to deal with earthquakes in other countries.

So they are capable in -- to deal with these search-and-rescue operations. But it is a very challenging time, as well. This is -- we're in the middle of a winter storm right now in that part of the country, in Southern Turkey. They've had snow, freezing temperatures over the past few days.

And if you look, as well, at the time that this earthquake hit, at about 4 a.m. in the morning. This means a lot of people were in their homes when this happened. So of course, there's going to be a lot of concern about how many people are trapped underneath the rubble.

I mean, Turkey is preparing for the worst right now. They are at the point where you have this country that has dealt with so many earthquakes, they're so experienced in dealing with natural disasters, saying that it is requesting international assistance to deal with this. So this really is an indication of how bad they expect the situation to be right now.

HARRAK: All right. And Jomana, as you have been reporting throughout, the chief of the Turkish Red Crescent is characterizing this -- this earthquake, and the damage as widespread.

So we will check in with you a little later, as soon as we can. Thank you so much for now.

I want to bring in now, our meteorologist, Karen Maginnis, for more on this to understand the ramifications of an earthquake of this scale. What more can you tell us, Karen?

KAREN MAGINNIS, NN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Laila. Devastating. Anytime you hear an earthquake is seven magnitude or above, you immediately go into crisis mode. Now, depending on how deep it is, that will determine just the extent of the damage.

But across this area, a very seismically-active region, one of the most active earthquake regions in the world, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake certainly does get your attention.

What you're looking at, is this area right now that is experiencing aftershocks. At last report, we had 12 known aftershocks.

To say aftershocks seems like we're diminishing what's happening there. But you have to remember, 7.8 magnitude earthquake, that brings down buildings. It disrupts the infrastructure: bridges, roads, the electric system, the electrical grid, as well as gas.

And people are worried about their homes collapsing around them. They most likely are out in the street, wondering if more is going to collapse with these aftershocks. There was one, 11 minutes after the main quake happened, at 7.8 magnitude. This was 6.8 magnitude aftershock. That will get your attention, as well.

And it was very shallow. The shallower these earthquakes are, the more damage they are potentially capable of doing.

And as we just heard our correspondents say, there's a winter storm system that's right across this region. So either cold rain or snowfall is expected, and perhaps a mix of two.

[00:10:05]

We heard about the crisis taking place across Syria. And because of the weather situation there, it makes it even worse.

And now, we're talking about a major earthquake, which is relatively rare, where we take a look at the statistics, as far as the number of earthquakes that are a seven magnitude or above. Typically speaking, you might see about a dozen or so. But it has been about 100 years since this area has seen anything devastating like this.

Now, this is where a bunch -- a lot of plates come together. Three major plates come together. But you have to remember, there are smaller strike zones across this region. Tiny areas, but they are impacted by this. This is the pinpoint of where that 7.8 magnitude earthquake did occur.

And this is probably a slip strike zone, as opposed to anything that is subduction, or anything like we see typically across the Pacific Northwest, if we were to see a major earthquake there.

So something that is a strike slip zone is still going to produce major damage. Not to minimize that at all but definitely, the shaking up and down becomes even more catastrophic.

It would also be false to say that this is a sparsely-populated area. It, in fact, is not. There are hundreds of thousands of people that live right across that region.

So hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by this. It is cold. It is rainy. We could see some snowfall across this region. Roads could be impacted. That means your food, your likelihood, the care for your children, the care for your family.

Anything as far as crops or anything growing across this region would be impacted, as well. The ramifications of this are broad and will impact this region for weeks and months.

And by that, I mean, we're looking at the aftershocks. The aftershocks are just smaller earthquakes, so to say they're an aftershock, this means we're talking more earthquakes across this region.

Where you see this orange, this gives us some idea of very strong shaking that would have been felt across this region. Almost four million people, right across the central zone of where that earthquake took place felt it.

But this is felt in areas to Israel, into Syria, into Iran. There are some reports that even into Jordan, they felt it. Wouldn't be surprising if that were the case, as well.

All right. Estimated fatalities. It's way too early to say that this is the number that we will see, because it has impacted such a broad region across this area.

Take a look at this. Where you see this red, it's estimating a thousand, possibly 10,000 fatalities could be associated with this earthquake.

Because this is so seismically active. It doesn't have to just be across this region. It can fan out across those smaller Tectonic plates that we were talking about.

The economic losses, probably way too early to even guess as to what that would be, but right now, they are estimating more than a billion U.S. dollars could impact that region.

All right. So this was about three and a half hours or so ago that we saw this magnitude 7.8. And we continue to add up the number of aftershocks, or smaller earthquakes.

But Laila, this will happen for weeks. We could see some very strong aftershocks. This could happen for months. And this is very unnerving to people who maybe have lost their homes, their livelihoods. They're worried about how they're going to get their next meal, how are they going to get stay warm. It is catastrophic.

Back to you.

HARRAK: Very great explanation there, Karen, and very dire warnings. And it is going to be very, very important to see what happens in the next couple of hours, and days and months, as you outlined.

Just a follow-up question for you. Is it possible to predict such a catastrophic event, or is it impossible? Can you prepare for something like this?

MAGINNIS: I don't think that you can anticipate. Sometimes you might get some of these pre-shocks, these smaller earthquakes.

But this is as seismically-active region that they report these smaller earthquakes quite frequently. But definitely, this is the major quake that takes place here. It -- some people say that you can tell when things are becoming a little more active. But in this particular situation, I don't know that anybody would say that that is the case.

HARRAK: Karen Maginnis. Thank you so much, Karen. Greatly appreciate you. Thank you.

And freelance journalist Eyad Kourdi is in Turkey. He says he was staying at his parents' house when the powerful earthquake struck at around 4 in the morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EYAD KOURDI, FREELANCE JOURNALIST (via phone): People are on the streets, still, so in my area, there is rain happening now. In my neighborhood, where I live (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I have not seen a single person from the neighbors went back to what they were doing (ph).

[00:15:04]

At 4:19 a.m., the earthquake started. I was awake. For the first three seconds, it was like a light shake. So I felt maybe it's just one of those light earthquakes that we see normally, we feel normally (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

But then after that, it became more shaky. I was staying at my parents' house. They woke up. They were asleep. I tried to shout to them, stay under the doors. Stay under the doors. And I was trying to confirm -- not to confirm, I'm sorry. I was trying to calm them down. Telling them please be calm, stay on the doors.

Telling them, it's going to be over soon. It's going to be over soon. But I thought it would never be over. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) A lot of stuff got broken in my house, like furniture, electronics.

But when we went out of the building, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And already, there was five centimeters snow on the ground. And it was raining heavily.

So we went up to the building. The neighbors were above (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I then went back to the building, got some coats, boots. And once we got out. Now the family is staying in the car, in an open area, open space.

Electricity is still working. We have water running in our neighborhood. I think that's the priority now. And also, there are some difficulties in communication. It has been (UNINTELLIGIBLE) over the lost power.

We felt (UNINTELLIGIBLE) aftershocks. But some followed, like, 20 minutes after the first earthquake. And basically, there has not been -- there has not been an aftershock in the last 48 minutes, I would say.

HARRAK: As you're reporting and sharing what you're saying. And your experiences. We're watching footage from the Gaziantep province. And people obviously, there's a search-and-rescue operation taking place.

But it looks like a massive building came down. Can you tell us a little bit more in terms of what you're seeing in terms of damage?

KOURDI (via phone): So, in terms of the damage, here's the thing. Turkey is not strange for earthquakes. So in Turkey, most of the new -- most of the newly-built buildings are like under the requirements for being -- to be able to handle earthquakes.

In the neighborhood I was in, I did not -- I walked for about -- walked for about two kilometers, but I did not see any buildings that were cracked or destroyed.

But I've seen some photos from the old sector of Gaziantep. That's where there -- there is the most damage. I am not hearing any -- anyone who got injured, or dead in my neighborhood. But I've heard a lot of ambulances. I've counted nine so far.

And there are also a couple of -- I've seen also a couple of firefighting trucks. But for now, from where I'm saying, which is approximately to the Western side. I haven't seen any kinds of casualties.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And we're happy to report that both Eyad and his parents are OK.

We'll be right back with more news after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:44]

HARRAK: Let's get you the latest now on our breaking news: the powerful earthquake that has left death and destruction in Turkey and Syria.

At least 76 people are now reported dead in Turkey and 42 in Syria.

The quake was centered in Southern Turkey, and the national government there has dispatched search-and-rescue teams and called for international assistance.

Some strong aftershocks followed the initial quake, and our meteorologists say more strong aftershocks are likely in the hours and days to come.

Well, the earthquake was felt across the region, including in Israel. And CNN's Hadas Gold joins us now live from Jerusalem with more.

Hadas, what can you tell us?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, it's amazing to think that this earthquake was felt hundreds of kilometers away from where it happened.

You know, my husband actually said that he felt the shaking around, just before 4 a.m. in the middle of the night. We're also getting reports of people in Tel Aviv feeling the shaking, in the West Bank, in Amman. All feeling the initial shake just before 10 -- just before 4 a.m. And

according to Israeli police, they received 3,496 notices of the earthquake.

But so far, they say there have been no injuries and no damage. And we aren't seeing any reports of any damage either in the West Bank, as well, but just a lot of reports of people waking in the night, to what they say is their entire home shaking.

I spoke to somebody. He said he was woken and said just everything around him was shaking, but thankfully, no damages, no injuries so far.

Israeli authorities, and authorities elsewhere, just reminding people of what to do in an earthquake.

I do have to say there has been a long-standing fear, especially here in this region, that a big earthquake is coming and going to affect, specifically, the Jerusalem area, specifically Israel and the West Bank, and the Palestinian territories.

And so I think for a lot of people, seeing this earthquake not too far, only a few hundred kilometers away that they could actually feel, only further reminded them of the fact that this big earthquake that scientists have been talking about could be coming for sometime, could be coming any day and likely will be hearing from authorities here about what they will be doing, and kind of reminders of preparations for -- you know, this happened not too far away. It could happen here, and we could be at the epicenter here anytime soon.

HARRAK: And Hadas, we understand that Ankara wants to intend to ask for -- intends to, and has actually, ask for international help. But do we know if Israel has received a request to help Turkey during this catastrophe?

GOLD: Yes. I haven't received any information yet from the foreign ministry on whether they've received that official request or how they will answer.

And I imagine that they will answer in some capacity, Israel often prides itself and boast about going out to disaster areas, going to places like Haiti, elsewhere, to do search-and-rescue.

They were very much involved, for example, in that apartment building in Miami that collapsed some time ago, going and doing search-and- rescue there.

So I will not be the least bit surprised if Israel sends out a team to the place in Turkey, to Turkey and try and help with the search-and- rescue.

And like you said, I also really wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing victims being flown, airlifted over here, to hospitals here. Something that I'm sure right now in the foreign ministry, as we speak, it's just after 7 a.m. here. Probably, people are waking up and starting to get everything organized. HARRAK: Hadas Gold reporting. Thank you very much, Hadas.

And I'd like to bring in now Dr. Mazen Kewara, who joins me on the line. He is the regional Middle East director for the Syrian-American Medical Society. He is in Gaziantep, Turkey, and felt the quake firsthand.

Doctor, are you safe? Is your family safe?

DR. MAZEN KEWARA, REGIONAL MIDDLE EAST DIRECTOR, SYRIAN-AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY (via phone): Yes, yes. Hello everyone. Yes, I'm in my car with my family. We are safe in Gaziantep, exactly next to all the buildings.

HARRAK: Can you tell us how you experienced this earthquake?

KEWARA (via phone): It was a tough experience. Skipping (ph) when we started to feel everything shaking around us. We started to hear (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) our kids and prepared ourselves to get outside.

Since then, we are in our car for more than four hours right now in very, very heavy weather. And that is very concerning for me as we have that capacity to save ourselves and ourselves.

But the people in Northwest Syria right now are in very horrific types) of situations, unfortunately, because of this earthquake. They -- they were affected, like ourselves. They're -- they have not places to go through.

And the vast (AUDIO GAP) are residing in tents. And unfortunately, they have limited services, are available there. So yes, the situation is horrific. Initial information we got on the ground from some hospitals, tens (ph) admitted, and hundreds of -- of injured people, unfortunately.

HARRAK: And Dr. Mazen, you are in Gaziantep now with your family in the car. We understand that there is a lot of damage in Gaziantep. Can you tell us what you saw?

KEWARA (via phone): Yes, maybe one building collapsed. It's far away from my building, for maybe 200 meters. And we have observed in social media, many other buildings collapsed.

So yes, this is in Gaziantep right now, in very difficult weather situation -- circumstances.

HARRAK: And I have you been able to see first responders? Are they able to access these impacted areas where you are?

KEWARA (via phone): Yes, yes. It's just (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

HARRAK: I'm afraid we may have lost Dr. Mazen Kewara. He is, of course, in the affected area, the epicenter, Gaziantep, with his family, spending the night, the morning in the car, bracing for aftershocks. We're going to leave it there now for us. Do stay with us. We'll have

much more on breaking news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:22]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

HARRAK: Welcome back. I'm Laila Harrak.

Returning now to our top story, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that brought death and destruction to Turkey and Syria. Dozens of people have been killed, and multiple buildings have collapsed in both countries.

Search-and-rescue crews have been deployed by Turkey, and the national government has called for international assistance. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered in Turkey's Southern Gaziantep province.

Several strong aftershocks followed, and CNN meteorologists say more are likely in the hours and days to come.

CNN's Scott McLean is following developments for you from London, Scott, any more new details that you can tell us about?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Laila.

Look, the death toll figures that we're getting right now surely will not be the final ones. These are the people that they know of. These are the people that they can count.

But the numbers are almost certain to rise, to give you a sense of things. The -- one of the deadliest earthquakes in Turkish history happened in 1999. And in that case there were 17,000 people were killed in the Northwestern part of the country.

You had some half a million people left homeless, and that was a 7.4. This is a 7.8 that we're talking about. So you can only imagine the scale of things that is to be expected.

And that is why authorities are asking desperately for international help, for rescue crews to come over, for aid, for assistance, for all of those kinds of things.

It is also why local authorities are asking for people throughout Turkey to be donating blood. That's the sense of the scale of the emergency that they're going to be seeing in hospitals across the region, as well.

Look, people in this part of the country, Laila, they feel earthquakes on a regular basis. Every couple of months or so, there's a small one, a tremor, things like that. And so they're not -- this is not an unknown for them. But this is on a whole new kind of a level. And so you have local

authorities telling people to go outside. Remember, this happened just around 4:20 in the morning or so. And so virtually everyone would have been sleeping.

They are telling people to go outside and wait there, but that's a pretty difficult ask, considering that the weather at the time is right around freezing.

It's very difficult to be outside in your pajamas for long periods of time without coats, without supplies, without things like that.

They are also asking people not to use their cars, because they say that there's traffic jams in some areas and, frankly, emergency services can't get into those areas, which is also a big ask, considering just how cold it is outside.

So you mentioned already that this earthquake took -- after this earthquake took place, there have been several aftershocks. But these aftershocks are quite strong, as well. You know, in the sixes, on the -- in magnitude, we're talking about. And so this -- even the aftershocks are absolutely terrifying.

That's why people don't necessarily want to go back inside their houses anytime soon, despite the weather, despite the conditions. Surely, if people have cars, that's what they're getting into.

And also, there is this massive rescue effort. We're already starting to see plenty of videos of people being pulled out from the rubble in Syria. We're also seeing a lot of the similar things.

The White Helmets there doing their work. Remember, this is a team that typically has been made famous by responding to airstrikes, responding to missile strikes in the country.

Now they're putting their skills to use in an entirely different way. And those skills are going to be badly needed over the hours to come.

It's obviously starting to become daylight in Turkey now, and I think very soon we're going to get a real sense of just how bad things are.

HARRAK: And, you know, this -- the scale of this earthquake, obviously, I mean, we just spoke to Hadas Gold. I mean, it was felt in Israel. It was felt in Cypress. It was felt in Syria, obviously, and in Lebanon. And this is also a very vulnerable border area, Gaziantep.

MCLEAN: Yes, that's right. A lot of people who left Syria during the war went into Turkey, and many of them are still in the border areas. And so not only do you have regular Turkish folks who are living in those areas.

You also have a very high number of people who have been displaced by war there. Not to mention the fact that in Syria itself, you have an infrastructure that has been decimated by years and years of war.

And so in Turkey, they have, you know, much more of an infrastructure to deal with these kinds of things. In many parts of Syria, they simply don't.

[00:35:07]

And so that's where you're more likely to see some of these building collapses. This is where you're more likely to see really, not very much in the way of infrastructure, not very much in the way of help and emergency services and things like that.

But -- and also, I think just in any disaster like this, Laila, you're dealing with this scale that would make it difficult for even the best of emergency services, the best of healthcare systems to cope on this kind of a level.

And so this is going to be extremely difficult. This is going to be extremely difficult for this region of Turkey, for Northern Syria, as well, to deal with the massive volume of incoming they surely (ph) were to expect.

I mean, the most recent number that we have is 76 people killed, but again, that's in Turkey. Surely, that number is to rise substantially in the hours and days to come.

HARRAK: Unfortunately, we might be looking at a potential humanitarian crisis in the region.

MCLEAN: Exactly, and that's why they are asking for help from abroad. There's the -- a level system that the emergency services use. This one is a four, which means that they're asking for help from outside.

And remember, Turkey is a country that experiences earthquakes on a reasonably relatively regular basis. And so oftentimes, you have Turkish first responders who are going to other countries because of their expertise in this area.

Now they are asking for that same help to come inside of the country, to help them, which gives you a sense of just how -- just how serious this is, Laila.

HARRAK: We -- just before you came on air, we spoke to a Syrian doctor who is actually sheltering with his family in their car, in Gaziantep. You know, in terms of, you know, the sun is going to start rising pretty soon, and then we will find out the extent of the damage.

MCLEAN: Yes, that's right, and look, I think the pictures that -- that we're going to see are obviously of the worst affected areas. But if you just imagine how many people live across this region that -- you know, where the buildings haven't collapsed, necessarily, but are damaged.

I've just heard from a friend who happens to live in Malatia (ph), which is a city in that region. And he said, obviously, when they woke up, they went out, outside, and they've been there ever since.

And you know, there's some damage to buildings in his city, but it's not, you know, on the scale, necessarily, or at least in his local area on the scale that you're seeing in other places. And so this affects a whole heck of a lot of people who are suddenly

finding themselves homeless, suddenly finding themselves thinking I don't want to go back inside of that building, because I don't know how structurally secure it is. Maybe there's a bit of damage. Maybe there's some broken windows. Maybe you know, there's other signs of damage. Maybe there's doors that have been jammed. And so they don't want to necessarily go back inside.

And now all of a sudden, they're finding themselves on the street. And temperatures that, as I mentioned, are right around freezing. So no one's going to want to stay outside for very long, but nobody wants to go inside, either.

HARRAK: Scott McLean, thank you very much.

Well, earlier I spoke about the earthquake with Turkish journalists Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. She spoke about the impact this disaster could have on Turkey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASLI AYDINTASBAS, VISITING FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION (via phone): I was also in Turkey when the last major earthquake took place, which was 1999, of the same magnitude. And that led to the death of 30,000 people.

Now, this one also seems to have a similar magnitude, and unfortunately, all expectations are that this, too, will be very costly in terms of human life. We don't have a full picture yet, but it is the case that people have felt the earthquake from the Black Sea all the way to Damascus.

And that tells you that a very densely-populated and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) part of the world is hit by an earthquake once again.

Turkey is historically at the crossroads of various fault lines, and there has been an expectation for a big earthquake for a number of years, for at least two decades. But that was thought to be -- the expectation was that would happen -- take place in Istanbul.

This is certainly the other fault line, and it's going to be equally, I think, devastating.

Can you tell us a little bit about the area where the epicenter of the earthquake has been?

HARRAK: We're talking about an area where the epicenter of the earthquake has -- has been.

AYDINTASBAS (via phone): So we're talking about an area where Turkish borders, which a Turkish area -- Turkish-Syrian border, where you have a number of cities. Small size or medium-size cities.

But you also have refugees. You also have an ethnic mix of, you know, Turks of Sunni background, Alevi (ph) background, or Kurdish Turkish citizens, of Kurdish backgrounds, and Syrian refugees. [00:40:25]

So actually some of these areas are also rather poor. Some are more richer urban areas like parts of Gaziantep, but other parts that we're talking about that seemed to have been devastated are relatively lower-incomes areas.

And as always, this is -- this is a national disaster, but part of the tragedy comes from human error, in terms of building, construction, and actually buildings where contractors do not really go with Turkey's building codes.

Because -- after devastating earthquake in 1999, Turkey had really changed its building laws and regulations, and forcing contractors and architects to build earthquake-proof residential buildings, particularly in residential areas.

And this was a big focus during Turkey's succession process with the E.U.

But these things, you know, when there isn't enough focus, they tend to taper off. There is and has not been as much concert tradition on quality of materials and enforcing building codes over the last five, six years. Turkey is no longer really that set on its E.U. track.

And you also have a country that has a severe economic downturn, which means that people are willing to be a bit less than perfect in the construction business.

So I think that is a huge part of the problem, because you can see, in your footage, in some of the footage that is coming out, the building -- one building standing still, and the next one is entirely gone. And that can only be, you know, a human error, which is why this is so sad.

But this part of the country is not the richest part of Turkey. It's a mix. It's also a part of the country, while you know, that's definitely a warmer climate than Northern parts or Istanbul, has been experiencing a cold -- a cold front. You have snow in many parts of Southern Turkey and Southeastern Turkey.

People have to leave their buildings right now. That can't go in. And you know, when you are -- I don't know if you've ever been in an earthquake, but when you do, you run out of the building. You stay out, but you always want to go back in to get your phone or get your wallet, or something. Or maybe some water. Or you left in a hurry, and you -- you are in your slippers. Or you need a coat, et cetera.

There are announcements being made, urging people not to go in, not to go in to pick up. Because you constantly have remnants, you know, smaller tremors continuing. And they can be very deadly, as well. When we say -- when I say small, it's still been in the magnitude of six something over the past hour.

So that is a pretty dire situation, even for the standards of -- even by standards of a country that is somewhat used to earthquakes. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: We'll have much more coverage for you ahead on the earthquake in Turkey.

And also still ahead, Hong Kong's harsh national security law will soon be used to determine the fates of dozens of pro-democracy leaders. We'll have the latest on the trial.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRAK: Back to the breaking news we're following for you at this hour. Dozens of people are dead in Syria and Turkey after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the epicenter was in Turkey's Gaziantep province, near the Syrian border. Turkey's disaster management agency says at least 76 people have been killed there, and more than 400 injured.

It's also calling for international assistance.

Meanwhile, more than 40 people were reported dead in Syria, and around 200 injured. And the White Helmets volunteer rescue group says hundreds are trapped in the debris in Idlib province.

We're now learning Ukraine could be readying to replace its defense minister in a reshuffle, with just weeks to go until the country marks one year since Russia's invasion.

That's according to a senior Ukrainian lawmaker, who says the move to replace Oleksi Reznikov is, quote, absolutely logical for wartime. The defense minister has been under pressure for several weeks now related to corruption scandals inside his department.

Reznikov was asked about the reports that he could be replaced. Here's part of his reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLEKSI REZNIKOV (through translator): the decision of who is to be minister or not as made by one person: the supreme commander in chief, president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

I am not ashamed of anything. My conscience is absolutely clear. I am a winner, and I will remain so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, according to the lawmaker, Reznikov is expected to be replaced by current head of defense intelligence.

Meantime, the fighting rages across parts of Eastern Ukraine and the city of Kharkiv. Officials say at least four people were injured in Russian missile strikes. One of the missiles hit a five-story university building on Monday. The other missile struck a residential building. A top official says,

according to preliminary appears the missiles fired from Russia's Belgorod region.

To the South of Kharkiv, the battle continues in Bakhmut. Ukraine's defense minister says the embattled city is still a stronghold, while the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group says Ukrainian defenders are fighting to the last, and there's no sign they're retreating. And -- fierce fighting about 20 people in the city gathered in the basement of a church on Sunday to pray for peace, with the room lit by candles.

Pro-democracy leaders are standing trial in Hong Kong right now after being charged under the region's controversial national security law more than two years ago. The trial is linked to the arrest of 47 people in early 2021, charged with participating in an unofficial election the previous year.

It's expected to last up to three months.

The national security law was imposed by Beijing in 2020 amidst months of pro-democracy protests challenging China's influence in Hong Kong.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me now live from Hong Kong, with the latest. Kristie, this is Hong Kong's, I gathered, I just national security case. It concerns the Hong Kong 47. Who are they, and what crime did they commit?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Yee, Laila, the Hong Kong 47 is a group of 47 pro-democracy activists who have been charged with the conspiracy to commit subversion. A very serious crime under the national security law here in Hong Kong, which is punishable by up to life in prison.

[00:50:12]

And their trial begins today. This is the city's largest ever national security trial since the legislation was imposed by Beijing in 2019, or in 2020, in the wake of the 2019 anti-government protest.

Among the 47 who are charged, you have high-profile figures such as the activist Joshua Wong. You have the law professor, Bennie Tai, as well as the former opposition lawmaker, Claudia Mo.

They have already pled guilty.

And among the defendants who are pleading for their innocence, include the former journalist Gwyneth Ho.

Now, they ae accused of organizing and participating in an unofficial primary vote in July of 2020. Now, previously, a similar event had happened without incident in 2018, but when this vote took place, the China liaison office said it contravenes the law.

I want to show you what Beijing's top representative in Hong Kong said at the time about this vote, saying this, quote, "With the support of external forces, opposition groups and leaders have deliberately devised plans to hold this so-called primary election, which is a serious provocation to the current electoral system, and caused serious damage to the fairness and justice of the Legislative Council elections," unquote.

Now, earlier today, we saw protesters outside the courtroom. It was a small group, but some of them were holding banners. One banner read, "Crackdown is shameless," unquote.

And critics say that this law, the national security law, has been used to crush dissent, and to topple the opposition. We'd heard from Human Rights Watch is a statement last year from its senior China researcher, saying this: "Hong Kong's biggest national security case is wrapped in legal language, but it's just a part of the Chinese government's relentless efforts to smother Hong Kong's democracy movement. The very real threat of life in prison for peaceful activism shows Beijing's utter contempt for both democratic political processes and the rule of law," unquote.

Now, this is a landmark trial. It is expected to last at least 90 days, Laila, but the implications of this case are set to linger and to last for years, if not decades, even more.

Back to you.

HARRAK: Very consequential indeed. Kristie Lu Stout reporting from Hong Kong. Thank you very much.

And we'll be back with more news after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRAK: Want to update you now on our breaking news this hour. One of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years has killed well over 100 people in both Syria and Turkey. And the death toll continues to climb rapidly.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude quake was in Turkey's Gaziantep province early Monday, when most people were still asleep.

At least 76 people are reported dead in Turkey and more than 400 are injured.

Search-and-rescue teams have been sent to the impact of region and Turkey's disaster agency is calling for international assistance. Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported at least 111 people have died in that country and more than 500 are injured. Dozens of buildings have collapsed in both countries.

Pope Francis is back in Rome after a rapturous reception in South Sudan.

[00:50:10]

Before his departure on Sunday, e held an open-air mass in Juba. He was accompanied in South Sudan by the heads of two other Christian churches, meeting with leaders of the country's warring factions and with internally displaced people the pontiff called for an end to ethnic hatred, just as he had done earlier during his stop in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Well, Pope Francis made noteworthy comments on the plane flying back to Rome, including providing some information on future travel plans.

CNN Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher has that and more on the pontiff's visit to Africa.

[00:55:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Francis returned to Rome on Sunday evening, after an historic six-day trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, where he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds and gave a message of peace; called for an end to violence; and particularly in South Sudan, called for a re-commitment to the peace process.

South Sudan has been in a civil war since 2013.

In a first, Pope Francis gave a joint press conference on the return flight, with two other Christian leaders who had joined him in South Sudan. From the Church of England, the archbishop Justin Welby, and from the Church of Scotland, the Reverend Iain Greenshields.

Responding to journalists' questions on the flight, all three leaders condemned the criminalization of same-sex sexual activity.

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): People with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God loves them. God is walking with them. But to condemn someone like this is a sin. To criminalize someone for homosexual tendencies is an injustice.

GALLAGHER: According to Human Rights Watch, of 69 countries that criminalize same-sex relations, 33 are in Africa.

And Francis also spoke about the sale of weapons, which he says provokes violence, calling it the greatest plague in the world today.

And finally, asked about any future trips, the pope said that discussions are underway for a September trip to Mongolia, although that's not yet confirmed, and he hopes also to visit India in 2024.

Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Thank you so much for joining us. On behalf of the entire team, we're thanking you for watching.

Our breaking news coverage of the earthquake in Turkey continues right here after this short break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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