Hatay Airport runway splits in half; flights halted

A runway at Turkey's Hatay Airport split in half after a major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria today.

Flights were immediately halted after the earthquake severely damaged the airport, according to a Daily Sabah report.

More than 500 people died and hundreds injured as buildings collapsed across the region, triggering searches for survivors in the rubble, according to Reuters.

The quake, which hit in the early darkness of a winter morning, was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.