Turkey and Syria earthquake death toll passes 7,200

The death toll from the deadly earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria on Monday has surpassed 7,200.

Monday's magnitude 7.8 quake, followed hours later by a second one almost as powerful, toppled thousands of buildings including hospitals, schools and apartment blocks.

Tens of thousands of people were injured or left homeless in cities in Turkey and northern Syria.

A day after the quakes hit, rescuers working in harsh conditions struggled to dig people out of the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The number of people who have died in Turkey and Syria has risen to 7,266. Turkish health minister confirmed that 5,434 people were killed in the country alone with 31,777 people injured. In Syria, the toll was at least 1,832, according to the government and a rescue service in the insurgent-held northwest.

As the scale of the disaster became ever more apparent, the death toll looked likely to rise considerably. One United Nations official said it was feared thousands of children may have been killed.