326 fatalities were reported by the Syrian health ministry in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, announced that there had been 912 fatalities.

More than 470 people lost their lives in Syria, including victims in rebel- and government-held areas.

There are worries that the number of fatalities will dramatically increase in the ensuing hours.

Rescue teams have been sent in to look for survivors under massive amounts of rubble after many buildings have collapsed.

At least 5,383 people were injured in Turkey and 1,000 in Syria. The quake was also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus, and caused extensive damage to homes and businesses.

Turkish seismologists estimated the strength of the quake to be 7.7 magnitude. They said that a second tremor hit the region just minutes later.

Turkey lies in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.

In 1999, more than 17,000 people were killed after a powerful tremor rocked the north-west of the country.