A monster magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck in southern Turkey at around 04.17am local time (01.17am GMT) on Monday killing at least 2,300 people and leaving many more feared dead.

The UK has now joined the US, Ukraine and Israel in offering assistance to Turkey and Syria - which has also been affected - as the death toll continues to increase steeply.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) the number of those killed could reach 10,000.

Meanwhile, a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake has now hit Turkey - a tragedy that will almost certainly claim more lives.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit after reports many buildings had been reduced to rubble.

"We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage," he wrote on Twitter.


UK foreign minister James Cleverly tweeted: "Tragic loss of life in the Türkiye and Syria earthquake.

"Our condolences go to the families of those who died and our thoughts are with the survivors.

"The UK stands ready to provide assistance."

The Netherlands is sending a search and rescue team to Turkey, says the country's foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra.

Further reports suggest that aftershocks have been felt in countries across the Middle East with Syria’s state media stating that some buildings have collapsed in the cities of Aleppo and Hama, while tremors have been reported as far afield as Egypt, Israel and Cyprus.

Syrian hospitals are "overwhelmed" and patients are "filling the hallways", according to the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS).


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Images yet to be verified are circulating on social media showing fallen buildings and rubble in streets, with fires starting in several provinces.

A man living close to the tragedy told the InCyprus news outlet he had "never felt anything like it".