News - Middle East: President Mahdi Al-Mashat sent two messages of condolence to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the victims of the devastating earthquake that affected the two countries, Monday.

He expressed his deepest condolences and sympathy to the leadership and people of the two countries and families of victims in this painful affliction, calling on the international community to lift the siege on Syria.

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake has hit Turkey and Syria, killing over 2,600 people and trapping many others.

The quake struck at 04:17 am local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers (11 miles) and was followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock 15 minutes later, according to the US Geological Survey.

Turkey’s AFAD emergencies service center put the first quake’s magnitude at 7.4.

According Turkey’s health ministry, the country’s death toll following the earthquake has risen to about 1,762 with thousands of buildings destroyed. 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the earthquake as the country's largest disaster since 1939.

He has also announced one week of national mourning following the catastrophic quake.

In Syria, the country’s official media as well as rescue teams working across the nation put the death toll at more than 1,000.

The official SANA news agency, quoting the country’s health ministry, said the quake had killed at least 593 people and left at least another 1,411 injured, including the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus.

Rescue teams said over 430 people were killed and more than 1,050 injured in northwestern parts of the country, which are held by pro-Turkish militants.