Sympathy extended to Mayo families who lost loved ones in earthquakes

An elected member of Mayo County Council has extended deepest sympathy to the Mayo families who have lost loved ones in the series of earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

In a post on his Facebook page, Westport Councillor Brendan Mulroy said they are "in our thoughts and in our prayers."

His post made reference to families in Westport left bereaved by the tragedy.

The death toll from the huge earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria has now risen to nearly 11,500.

And experts are predicting the combined tally will rise further, as hundreds of collapsed buildings in many cities have become tombs for people who were asleep when the first quake hit on Monday morning.

The World Health Organization has warned that up to 23 million people may be affected by the quakes