The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria was one of the most powerful to hit the region in at least a century. From the current data, it appears that more than 4,800 people have lost their lives, while thousands of people are under the ruins.
The death toll could rise to more than 20,000 people, said Catherine Smallwood, the World Health Organization's senior emergency events officer for Europe.
The powerful earthquake and dozens of aftershocks toppled entire apartment blocks in Turkey and caused more damage to Syrian communities already devastated by more than a decade of war. Seismologists have recorded more than 100 smaller aftershocks.
More than 7,800 people have been rescued in 10 provinces, according to Orhan Tatar, an official with Turkey's disaster management authority.
More than 10 search and rescue teams from the European Union were mobilized to help with the recovery, a European Commission spokesman said. The US, UK, Canada, Israel, Russia and China were among other countries that offered assistance.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has called for increased funding for humanitarian aid in Syria.
