At least 185 aftershocks jolted southeastern Türkiye and the surrounding region following a pair of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, according to the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

The powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Türkiye and Syria early Monday, killing more than 100 people.

The earthquake leveled buildings while many were still asleep and sent tremors that were felt as far away as the island of Cyprus and Egypt.

Emergency service officials in Türkiye put the initial death toll at 76, although it threatened to climb substantially higher because the night-time disaster had flattened dozens of apartment blocks across major cities.

At least 50 people also died in government-controlled parts of Syria, as well as the northern areas held by pro-Turkish factions, according to state media and a local hospital.

Television images showed shocked people in Turkey standing in the snow in their pajamas, watching rescuers dig through the debris of damaged homes.

The quake struck at 4:17 a.m. local time (1:17 a.m. GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers (11 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said, with a 6.7 magnitude aftershock striking 15 minutes later.

Türkiye's AFAD emergencies service center put the first quake's magnitude at 7.4, adding that it was followed by dozens of aftershocks.