Syria’s war-torn city of Aleppo is one of the places to have borne the brunt of the deadly earthquake, which also devastated parts of southern Turkey.

More than 1,600 people have been reported dead so far in northern Syria following the quake.

Emergency rescue teams said many buildings were damaged or destroyed and that people were trapped under the rubble.

The region is home to millions of refugees displaced by the civil war.

Control of northern Syria is divided between the government, Kurdish-led forces and other rebel groups. They remain embroiled in conflict.

Even before the earthquake the situation in much of the region was critical, with freezing weather, crumbling infrastructure and a cholera outbreak causing misery for many of those who live there.

Much of Aleppo was destroyed in the civil war, which broke out in 2011 when a peaceful uprising against President Bashar al-Assad turned into violence.

While there have been efforts to rebuild the city – Syria’s pre-war commercial hub – there is dilapidated infrastructure, plus destroyed buildings, and power outages are common.

According to separate figures from the Syrian government and the White Helmets rescue group, which operates in rebel-controlled areas, more than 1,600 people have died in the region so far after the earthquake.

A video published on social media, and verified by the BBC, showed a building in Aleppo crashing to the ground as onlookers rushed to safety.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9km (11 miles) near the Turkish city of Gaziantep. Twelve hours later, a second quake, which was nearly as large, struck 130km (80 miles) to the north.

Some Aleppo residents told correspondents they have nowhere to go, either because their homes have been destroyed or because they are afraid of further quakes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces worst-affected by an earthquake that has killed thousands.

Erdogan said that the death toll in Turkey has risen to 3,549 people. More than 1,600 people are reported to have died in Syria.

In a televised address, Mr Erdogan said the state of emergency is to ensure that rescue work can be “carried out quickly” in the country’s south-east.

He said the measures would allow relief workers and financial aid into the affected regions, but did not give further details.

The state of emergency will end just before elections on 14 May, when Mr Erdogan will attempt to stay in power after 20 years.

Turkey last imposed a state of emergency in 2016 after a failed coup attempt. It was lifted two years later.

Rescuers in Turkey are battling heavy rain and snow as they race against the clock to find survivors of the earthquake that struck in the early hours of Monday.

The World Health Organization has warned the toll may rise dramatically as rescuers find more victims.

Heavy machinery worked through the night in the city of Adana, with lights illuminating the collapsed buildings and huge slabs of concrete, in scenes repeated across southern Turkey.

Rescuers are racing to save people trapped beneath the rubble after thousands of buildings collapsed in the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

A girl was rescued by firefighters, from the ruins of a building in Hatay province.

Footage has emerged from Syria of the incredible moment men digging through rubble with their hands freed a tiny girl as her father tries to keep her calm.

The father is heard saying to his young girl, Nour, “Dad is here, don’t be scared” as the search and rescue team furrow through large rocks to pull her out from deep underneath.

Volunteers from the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, are seen telling Nour to “look over to her dad” as they carefully lift her out of the rubble.

Death toll tops 5,000 as patients left to die in ‘forgotten’ hospital – latest updates

Her father watched on as her dust-covered face emerges from the pile in the opposition-held town of Jinderis, north of Aleppo.

Other videos captured two more children freed from the earthquake wreckage nearly 24 hours after it first struck.

Two children have been rescued from the ruins after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Syria and Turkey.

Two displaced children have been rescued from the ruins after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Syria and Turkey.

One young boy and his mother were trapped in rubble for more than 20 hours when they were freed overnight.

Footage shows the chaotic scenes as volunteers carefully remove the young child from a collapsed building as rain pours down with just head torches lighting the rescue mission.

The dust-covered child is then taken to be cared for by other rescuers in Sarmada, northwestern Syria.

The family had already been internally displaced because of the war.

A second young boy named Ahmed was recued from the village of Qatma, north of Aleppo.

Two children have been rescued from the ruins after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Syria and Turkey.

Two children have been rescued from the ruins after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Syria and Turkey.

Covered in debris, he gently cries with relief as he is taken from the wreckage to receive medical attention.

Ahmed had also been displaced and his family’s home was destroyed by the powerful earthquake.

People watch digging operation at site of building collapse following an earthquake in Turkey1:22

Rescuers worked through the night in extremely cold temperatures searching for more survivors after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region on Monday morning.

A second 7.5 magnitude tremor struck later on Monday afternoon with officials saying it was “not an aftershock”.

Thousands have died so far, with many more suspected to be trapped under collapsed buildings across Turkey and Syria.

The north-west of Syria, where the videos were recorded, is held by rebels. Around four million people are believed to be living there, having been displaced from other parts of the country by the civil war.

Many displaced families live in buildings already wrecked from frequent Russian and government airstrikes that have now been damaged by the earthquake.

The White Helmets said the situation in the area is “disastrous”. The territory, centred around the province of Idlib, depends on Turkish aid to supply essential resources including food to medical supplies.

Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesperson, said 224 buildings were destroyed and 325 buildings, including aid warehouses, were damaged in north-western Syria.

Footballer Christian Atsu has been pulled from the rubble of a building “with injuries” after the earthquakes in Turkey, his club’s vice-president Mustafa Özat has told Turkish radio.

Atsu, who plays for Hatayspor, was trapped after the earthquakes that have killed at least 4,800 people.

The ex-Ghana forward, 31, played 107 games for Newcastle and has had spells with Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth.

Hatayspor sporting director Taner Savut is still in the collapsed building.

Hatay was one of the areas closest to the epicentre of the earthquake, and has suffered extensive damage.

“Christian Atsu was removed from the wreckage with injuries,” Özat told Radyo Gol.

“Unfortunately, our sporting director Taner Savut is still under the rubble.

“Hatay was deeply affected. We are coming towards the end of the most dangerous hours.”

Atsu, who won 65 caps for Ghana, joined Hatayspor in September 2022 after a season with Saudi Arabian team Al-Raed.

He scored the winning goal in the 90th minute of Hatayspor’s Super Lig match against Kasimpasa on Sunday.

The Ghanaian Football Association tweeted: “We’ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment. Let’s continue to pray for Christian.”

Akwete is a town in Abia state, it is the Headquarter of Ukwa East Locale Government of the state.

Akwete is known in Nigeria and West Africa for its unique weaving making the town an important tourist destination in the state.

Akwete cloth is a unique hand-woven textile produced in Igboland for which the town of Akwete in Abia state, South Eastern Nigeria is famous.

The raw materials used in its production are wool, cotton, silk, raffia, cotton and the bark of certain trees (hemp). The Akwete cloth was originally referred to as “Akwa Miri” (Cloth of the water) meaning towel.

The traditional Igbo weaving as demonstrated in Akwete processes sisal-hemp, raffia and spun cotton into finished product on a wide vertical loom.

Igbo legend tells us that weavers from that village were among those to do so in the late nineteenth century.

Using imported threads in an array of vibrant colours, and inspired by cloth imports from England, India, and elsewhere, the Legendary Weaver Dada Nwakwata began weaving designs of her invention.

Said to be the founder of weaving as it is now known in her villages, Dada Nawkwata has remained a major role model for Akwete weavers, who like her claim they can weave any cloth design set before them.

The mid- to late nineteenth century, weaving grew from part-time activity that occupied some women, to full-time occupation in which all Akwete women participated.

At this period, Akwete weavers responded to the patronage of neighboring Ijo peoples of the Niger- Delta, devising novel techniques to create desired patterns in new textile materials.

Just like most women’s weaving throughout Nigeria, Akwete weaving is done on anupright frame loom with continuous warp and other accessories

The basic Akwete cloth is usually made of cotton thread whilst the decorative patterns and effects are added with thread of heavier texture or contrasting colours.

In former times, only royal families could wear the ‘Ikaki’ motif, andif an ordinary person attempts to wear it, he could be sold into slavery.

The weavers claim that certain motifs and designs were revealed to them in the dreams.

Materials Used For Production

The materials used in the production of Akwete cloth are as follow: Loom, heddle, beater/sword, yarn/ twine /brass spatula, rope, shuttle, wax

Women usually tie the cloth as a wrap-around skirt (wrapper) with a blouse of lightweight machine-made fabric.

The cloth is usually woven in pairs and the Igbo women wear the two wrappers on public occasions, the first one tied to reach the ankle and the second one to mid-calf length.

While the Men use the fabric to sew traditional shirts popularly known as jumper, Wokor, or Etibo.

These they wear over trousers for special occasions. The cloth may also be woven in smaller versions that could be used as curtains, cushion, table, lectern, or bed covers.

Burj Rafal is a tall skyscraper hotel which is located in the capital and most populous city within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.

Being 308 meters (1,010 feet) high above the city, this concrete, steel and glass marvel is a modernist masterpiece that was designed by the Hong Kong firm, P&T Architects & Engineers Ltd.

Blending in the urban landscape, the exterior façade is made entirely of turquoise colored glass which interestingly changes color to a little bit greener shade with at sunset and sunrise.

With around 350 rooms, Burj Rafal is considered to be among the tallest residential buildings in Saudi Arabia’s capital, nonetheless, it holds the title as well for one of the tallest hotels in the world.

Officially opened in January 2014, this unique and glorious vertical residential landmark is one of the most popular places where locals would like to live, in addition to the nice neighborhood where it is located.

All in all, definitely one of the most modern marvels from the kingdom of the Middle East, Burj Rafal is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the Hong Kong based company that uniquely designed it.