A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Türkiye early on Monday morning, followed by several powerful aftershocks that were felt across the region. The jolts caused widespread destruction, knocking down multiple residential buildings, according to disturbing footage captured by survivors.

The most powerful jolt, measured at 7.8 by the USGS and 7.4 by the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, happened around 4:17am local time, and was centered 33km northeast of Gaziantep, a major provincial capital with a population of over 2 million people.