Powerful 7.8 earthquake in Turkey and Syria kills at least 195 people, hundreds injured

A major earthquake in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria has killed at least 200 people.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck at 4:17AM local time, with its epicentre near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, where several buildings have collapsed.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the quake.

Meanwhile, the country’s interior minister has appealed to people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks of collapse and to keep roads clear to allow ambulances and emergency services access to the affected areas.

In Syria, state television has reported that a building near Latakia, on the country’s west coast, has collapsed.

Several buildings have also partially collapsed in Hama, central Syria, with civil defence and firefighters working to pull out survivors.

The region on both sides of the border has been affected by the Syrian civil war, with millions of refugees housed in camps and settlements.