Irish Examiner view: Earthquake will be a test of European unity 

The disaster also requires us to examine what we are capable of doing to alleviate the suffering of the people of Turkey and Syria

The unspeakable grief across Syria and Turkey in the wake of the earthquake is summed up in the face of this woman in Iskenderun, southern Turkey. Picture: Hussein Malla/AP

The earthquake in Syria and Turkey on Monday has had a devastating impact on the region, with a death toll running into the thousands, and rescue attempts hampered by shattered infrastructure.

The advent of 24-hour news and cameraphones has made events which were once remote and almost abstract now terribly immediate: All of us can see the effect of the quake practically in real time.