Wayne Circassian Group Assisting Syrian, Turkish Families Impacted by Deadly Earthquake

WAYNE, NJ — A Wayne-based organization sprung into action to assist people impacted by Monday's deadly earthquake in Syria and Turkey.

The Circassian Benevolent Association formed a Crisis Committee to assist Adigha families and villages affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which killed more than 7,000 people and injured tens of thousands, according to the nations' officials.

The organization shared contacts for the Crisis Committee and said more information would follow.

The Circassian Benevolent Association formed in 1952 and serves a local community estimated at about 5,000 people, according to its website. Circassians are an ethnic group indigenous to the North Caucasus — a subregion of Eastern Europe in the Eurasian continent. There are more than 5 million Circassians worldwide, including 2-3 million in Turkey.

The earthquake hit just after 4 a.m. local time Monday, sending tremors hundreds of miles and destroying thousands of homes on both sides of the Turkey-Syria border. Freezing conditions further endangered survivors, complicating rescue efforts as more than 100 aftershocks struck the region.

Find out more about the Circassian Benevolent Association.