Numerous structures have been destroyed in southeast Turkey and northern Syria after a magnitude 7.8. earthquake struck the region.

A major 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria earlier on Monday resulted in at least 568 fatalities and thousands of injuries, according to local reports.

Numerous buildings have collapsed across both countries, and rescue efforts are underway to search for survivors under the rubble.

In Syria, Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Tartus provinces have been most impacted, according to the Syrian health ministry, amid concerns over a rising death toll.

Across the border in Turkey, Vice President Fuat Oktay, at least 284 people have been confirmed dead. He also noted that over 2,300 people have been hurt and that search and rescue efforts are still underway in several major cities.

Ten cities, including Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir, and Kilis, were reportedly affected, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleymon Soylu.

Local authorities reported that at least 23 people died in the province of Malatya, which is northeast of Gaziantep. To the east in Sanliurfa, there were 17 fatalities. Additional fatalities were also reported in Osmaniye and Diyarbakir.

Tragedy in Syria

A shopping mall in the city of Diyarbakir collapsed, according to the BBC.

The number of people in need of medical care in Syria is “overwhelming,” Mazen Kiwara, Middle East Regional Director for the Syrian American Medical Society, told Al Jazeera. The medical expert also stated that some hospitals were damaged by the earthquake.

At least five deaths were reported, including the death of a pregnant woman, according to Kiwara, whose team was forced to evacuate an Afrin maternity hospital.

“Right now we have a crisis, in addition to very bad weather conditions and collapsed buildings,” he said.

“The effort should be focused on the humanitarian response, especially in shelter and health to protect the population of more than 1.5 million people in northwest Syria alone.”

In cities and towns throughout Turkey and Syria, rescue teams are still conducting a frantic search for survivors who may be hidden beneath tangles of metal and chunks of concrete.

“Tragic and disastrous conditions experienced by the Syrians. A video showing the effects of the massive destruction caused by the earthquake in the north of the country. The suffering of the Syrians is increasing more and more. May your mercy and kindness be upon the people of AlSham,” a tweet said.