U.S. to help those affected by the earthquake that hit Turkey

It added, “we will continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with the Government of Turkiye.”

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, killing scores of people and injuring hundreds as buildings collapsed, and triggering searches across the snowy region for survivors trapped in rubble.

The quake, which struck in the early darkness of a winter morning, was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon, Reuters reported.

"I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I've lived," said Erdem, a resident of the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the quake's epicentre, who declined to give his surname.

Turkey's disaster agency said 76 people had been killed, and 440 hurt, as authorities scrambled rescue teams and supply aircraft to the area around the city of Kahramanmaras, while declaring a "level 4 alarm" that calls for international assistance.