Earthquake death toll rises to over 2,600 in Turkey and Syria, 7 days of mourning declared in Turkey

More than 2,600 people have been confirmed dead in a huge earthquake that hit a swathe of Turkey and northwest Syria on early Monday morning with freezing winter weather adding to the plight of the many thousands left injured or homeless and hampering efforts to find survivors.

An initial magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit near the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep at 4:17am local time on Monday, as people were sleeping, at a depth of about 17.9km (11 miles). It was also felt as far as Cyprus, Egypt and Lebanon. 

The second quake of magnitude 7.7 happened at around 12:24pm, 12 hours apart and like the first, was felt across the region including in Cyprus.

Dozens of aftershocks followed.

"It was like the apocalypse," said Abdul Salam al-Mahmoud, a Syrian in the northern town of Atareb. "It's bitterly cold and there's heavy rain, and people need saving."

In Turkey, the death toll stood at 1,651, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, and 11,119 people were recorded as injured. At least 968 people were killed in Syria, according to figures from the Damascus government and rescue workers in the northwestern region controlled by insurgents. There were fears the death toll would rise.

Turkish President Erdogan has declared a 7 days national mourning period.

The quake is already the highest death toll from an earthquake in Turkey since 1999, when a tremor of similar magnitude devastated the heavily populated eastern Marmara Sea region near Istanbul, killing more than 17,000.

President Tayyip Erdogan, who is preparing for an election in May, called it a historic disaster and the worst earthquake to hit Turkey since 1939.

"Everyone is putting their heart and soul into efforts although the winter season, cold weather and the earthquake happening during the night makes things more difficult," he said.

The Syrian health ministry said 538 people had been killed and more than 1,326 injured. In the Syrian rebel-held northwest, emergency workers said 430 people had died.

A girl wrapped in blankets from a collapsed building in the city was rescued.

"There were 12 families under there. Not a single one came out. Not one," said a thin young man, In the Syrian rebel-held town of Jandaris in Aleppo province.

Erdogan said 45 countries had offered to help the search and rescue efforts in Turkey.