Thousands of buildings have collapsed in Türkiye and Syria in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years.

The death toll in Türkiye rose to 38,044, Turkish officials said, adding that more than 80,000 people were injured.

The number of deaths recorded in Syria has so far reached 5,800, according to local sources.

“The number of Syrians who have been killed due to the devastating earthquake is expected to exceed 7,000, especially since there are hundreds of missing people under rubble,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

It was estimated that up to 5.37 million people across Syria might have been made homeless, while a total of 10.9 million people, nearly half of the country's population, were affected. (ILKHA)