More than 3500 people have died after two powerful earthquakes struck the border of Türkiye and Syria.

The first, a 7.8 magnitude quake, struck at 4am local time, while most civilians were asleep in their beds.

The second, registering a 7.5 magnitude, proved particularly terrifying for rescuers trying to pull people from the rubble, with many forced to run for their lives as buildings came crashing down.

Türkiye says there have been 120 aftershocks and has declared a state of emergency.

Piotr Zalewski, a reporter on the ground in Türkiye, told Laurel & Mark that 5606 Turkish buildings have been destroyed.

“Just to give you an idea, where I am right now, in a city called Adana, which is home to about 1.7 million people in southern Türkiye, I just saw what was left of two apartment blocks,” he said.

“Each of these were 14 storeys high and each is now no more than a pile of rubble.”

Adana. Rescue workers here calling for quiet, hoping to hear someone trapped under the rubble. pic.twitter.com/Y9398K8oFz

— Piotr Zalewski (@p_zalewski) February 6, 2023

“Search and rescue efforts are now ongoing but the chance of finding any survivors, given the devastation we’re seeing, is pretty slim.”

Press PLAY below to hear Piotr Zalewski’s report in full 

Seismology Research Centre chief scientist Adam Pascale told Sofie Formica the destruction nature of the earthquakes was largely driven by their depth and proximity.

“It was a very large magnitude but also a shallow earthquake that was only 17 kilometres deep,” he said. “That means the energy was much closer to the surface.

“Also, the epicentre was located quite close to a populated area, so the impact is just amplified there.”

Press PLAY below to hear how likely another quake in the area is 

Image: Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Images