The quake is one of the largest ever recorded in the country.

Early this morning, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake was recorded in the southeastern portion of Turkey, near the border to Syria. This intense quakes have caused widespread damage to cities in both countries, causing building collapses, topography shifting, and more. The extensive damage has led to over 2,300 confirmed deaths and counting at the time of writing.

“Many buildings in different cities and villages in north-western Syria collapsed,” a rescue volunteer in Syria told the BBC.

“Still now, many families are under the rubble. We are trying to save them but it’s a very hard task for us.

“We need help. We need the international community to do something, to help us, to support us. North-western Syria is now a disaster area. We need help from everyone to save our people,” he added.

Multiple countries around the world have pledged their support, with the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Israel all deploying rescue squads, medical personnel, and equipment to the affected areas. Numerous residents of both Turkey and Syria have been displaced by the damage, as well as left without power due to severe damage endured by local power networks.