A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, killing more than 640 people and toppling buildings.
The quake prompted a search for survivors among the rubble in cities and towns across the region. The death toll is expected to rise.
Residents of both countries were awakened by the quake several hours before dawn and rushed out into the cold, rain and snow. Dozens of buildings in cities in the area were demolished.
Rescuers and residents searched for survivors under the rubble of destroyed buildings in several cities in both countries.
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A car is seen under the remains of a collapsed building, in the city of Azmarin, in the Idlib province of northern Syria.
In the Turkish city of Adana, witnesses said they heard a person call for help from under the rubble of a building.
“I don’t have the strength to continue,” the person said.
In Diyarbakir, cranes and rescue teams worked through a pile of cement floors that once made up an apartment building.
In Syria, the earthquake flattened opposition-controlled regions teeming with around 4 million people displaced from other parts of Syria due to the country’s ongoing civil war. Many live in decrepit conditions with limited medical care.
At least 11 people were killed in the town of Atmeh, with many more buried under rubble, according to a town doctor, Muheeb Qaddour.
“We fear the deaths will be in the hundreds,” Qaddour said of the rebel-held northwest. “We are under extreme pressure.”
The quake could be felt as far away as Cairo. It was centered about 60 miles from the Syrian border.
At least 20 aftershocks followed the initial quake hours later, with the strongest measuring 6.6 magnitude, Turkish authorities said.
People search through the remains of a collapsed building in the city of Azmarin, in the Idlib province of northern Syria.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter that search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the affected areas.
“We hope we get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with as little damage as possible,” he wrote.
Turkey’s Emergency and Disaster Management agency reported at least 76 deaths in seven Turkish provinces, as well as 440 injuries. The death toll in Syria’s government-controlled areas rose to 237 with at least 630 injured, according to Syrian state media. According to reports, at least 47 people were killed in rebel-held areas.
Authorities in Turkey urged residents not to drive on the roads as people trying to leave damaged areas were causing traffic jams, hampering rescue efforts. Mosques in the region have been opened as shelters for people unable to return to their damaged homes due to temperatures near freezing.
Rescue teams and medics try to reach residents trapped in a collapsed building after an earthquake in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey.
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In northwestern Syria, the opposition Syrian Civil Defense said the situation in the rebel-held region was “disastrous” with entire buildings collapsing and people trapped under rubble. Civil protection advised people to evacuate buildings and gather in open areas.
The US Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 20 miles from Gaziantep. It had its center at a depth of 11 miles.
The quake also woke up residents in Lebanon and shook buildings for about 40 seconds. Many Beirut residents ran out of their homes and onto the streets or drove their cars away from the buildings.
Associated Press contributed to this report
