Today early morning, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and northern Syria.

At least 284 deaths were reported in Turkey, while 237 people died in Syria.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centred about 33km (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was about 18km (11 miles) deep, and a strong 6.7 aftershock rumbled about 10 minutes later. The tremor was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the earthquake.

In northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defence described the situation in the rebel-held region as “disastrous”, adding that entire buildings had collapsed and people were trapped under the rubble.