The M7.8 Turkey Earthquake Happened While Some People Were Sleeping, the Death toll Soared Quickly

#PrayForTurkey echoes on Twitter.

JAKARTA - At least until this news was published, more than 500 people had died and many were trapped by the M7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey. The strong earthquake has toppled buildings in southern Turkey and northern Syria.

Rescue workers are worried that more victims will be found because the earthquake occurred early in the morning.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was centred about 20 miles from Gaziantep, Turkey, the major city and provincial capital. It occurred at 3:17 local time, centred at a depth of 11 miles. Then a strong 6.7 magnitude aftershock rumbled about 10 minutes later.

More than a dozen aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or more occurred, according to the USGS.

At a news conference, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay confirmed at least 284 people had died in the country.

The death toll has so far been found in seven provinces, state media reported. An additional 2,323 people were injured, according to Oktay.

At least 237 others were killed in Syria, and 639 others were injured, mostly in government-controlled areas of Latakia, Aleppo, Hama and Tartous, according to the country's Ministry of Health, reported by NBC News, Monday, February 6.

In northwestern Syria, the Syrian Civil Defense described the situation in rebel-held areas as disastrous. It was described as an entire building having collapsed and people were trapped under the rubble. The civil defence urged people to evacuate buildings to gather in open areas.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said search and rescue teams had been dispatched to the region. Speaking on Twitter, he expressed hope for a speedy recovery.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement overnight the US was concerned about the impact of the earthquake.

"We stand ready to provide any assistance needed", he said.

"President Biden has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess US response options to assist those most affected. We will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with the Government of Turkey", he concluded.