A 7.8 magnitude quake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and Syria and many casualties are feared.
According to The ABC, more than 300 people are dead in Turkey and Syria. However the number could keep raising because many people were sleeping at the time of the earthquake.
Many buildings were destroyed in the provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakir and Malatya, HaberTurk Television has reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the areas hit by the quake.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that Turkish authorities had urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks. There were at least 6 aftershocks following the earthquacke.
At least 50 buildings have collapsed across the two cities of Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.
The minister noted that 10 cities were affected: Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis.
Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus also felt the earthquake.
