Update: As of 11 pm ET, it was reported at least 31 people were killed and the death toll is expected to rise.

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck central Turkey Sunday night (early Monday local time) and toppled buildings.

People are also trapped under collapsed buildings and rubble in northern Syria.

The quake struck 20 miles from Gaziantep.

A 6.7 aftershock hit a few minutes later.

AP reported:

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook southeast Turkey early Monday and was followed by another strong temblor. It was felt in several provinces in the region and knocked down a number of buildings, reports said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi.

It was centered 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A strong 6.7 temblor rumbled about 10 minutes later.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency, AFAD, said the quake measured 7.4 and was centered in the town of Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province.

Several buildings tumbled down in the neighboring provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk television reported. There was no immediate reports on casualties.

Videos:

Video shows a building laying in ruins in Adana, Turkey.pic.twitter.com/RCkAnlIzdf

— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) February 6, 2023

Numerous residential buildings have collapsed.

VIDEO:

DEVELOPING: I've now seen multiple reports that numerous buildings some as many as 7+ floors have collapsed or partially collapsed in Diyarbakir, Turkey, following major 7.8 magnitude earthquake. pic.twitter.com/2lXMiUO3BQ

— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) February 6, 2023

DEVELOPING….please check back for updates.

The post DEVELOPING: Powerful Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Strikes Turkey, Topples Buildings (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the United States this week may not be the first unmanned Chinese surveillance balloon that has infiltrated US air space.

Back in 2022, Hawaii News Now which is a major news station in the state of Hawaii reported a strange white balloon was spotted by residents on the island of Kauai back in February of 2022.

The balloon which was described by residents as a “white orb” even garnered the attention of the US military.

Hawaii’s adjutant general reported the US military sent out aircraft and confirmed that the “white orb” residents were seeing  was actually a white unmanned balloon that had no “identifiable markings.”

Residents of Kauai claimed they saw jets shoot down the balloon and heard loud booms too.

The military however denied the locals’ claims.

Residents spotted a strange orb above Kauai. The military responded with jets READ MORE: https://t.co/8CoegQ9aT0 #HNN pic.twitter.com/qYA0JRkqdx

— Hawaii News Now (@HawaiiNewsNow) February 19, 2022

Here’s an excerpt of the Hawaii News Now report:

A large mysterious object floating high above Kauai prompted a response from the military this week. The large white orb was identified by the military as an unmanned balloon with no observable identification markings.

Hawaii’s adjutant general said the military sent aircraft on Monday to check out the balloon.

Dozens of Garden Isle residents captured the mysterious balloon, with some saying it was very bright and not moving. Other residents said it looked like jets shot it down and some heard loud booms. But, the military said it did not fire at the balloon.

USAF F-22s have been scrambled to investigate a mysterious object floating over Hawaii https://t.co/Fq7saFU1f3

— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) February 21, 2022

The report of the unidentified balloon occurred shortly after Biden’s first year of office but it never made national headlines.

The post THIS HAPPENED BEFORE: China Floated Balloon Over Hawaii LAST YEAR – Unmanned Balloon In Hawaii Required Military Response In 2022 appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.