Earthquake

It is increasingly remote terrain, yet it feels so familiar - village after village bears the same devastating scars.

We stop at a small place we learn is called Ördekdede and stumble into a Turkish community where their dead now outnumber the living.

This is a grim new reality for so many dots of the map across the huge corridor of this region where the ground shook most violently.

The last people we expect to find among the survivors in this secluded spot - huddling around a fire, sipping tea - are two Londoners.

The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria from the earthquake has surpassed 28,000, and hope of finding many more survivors is fading despite some miraculous rescues.

German rescuers and the Austrian army paused search operations on Saturday, citing clashes between unnamed groups.

Security is expected to worsen as food supplies dwindle, one rescuer said.

And nearly 50 people have been arrested for looting, with several guns seized, local media reported.

Turkey's president said he would use emergency powers to punish anyone breaking the law.

The World Health Organisation has suggested the final toll could rise as high as 20,000, and thousands are complaining about the lack of resources and slow official response.

Across a swathe of southern Turkey, people sought temporary shelter and food in freezing winter weather, and waited in anguish by piles of rubble where family and friends might still lie buried.

A day after the quakes hit, rescuers working in harsh conditions struggled to dig people out of the rubble of collapsed buildings.

As the scale of the disaster became ever more apparent, the death toll looked likely to rise considerably. One United Nations official said it was feared thousands of children may have been killed.

And residents in several damaged Turkish cities voiced anger and despair at what they said was a slow and inadequate response from the authorities to the deadliest earthquake to hit Türkiye since 1999.

The US Geological Survey said the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 4.17am (local time) at a depth of 17.9km near the city of Gaziantep.

It said on Twitter extensive damage was probable.

The earthquake was felt in the capital Ankara and other Turkish cities, and also across the region.

Reports are coming in that several buildings have collapsed, and a number of people may be trapped.

A BBC Turkish correspondent in Diyarbakir reported that a shopping mall in the city had collapsed.

Five aftershocks followed the first long and strong jolt that struck 23 kilometres west-north-west of Port Olry at a depth of about 28 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

Tsunami alerts had been issued but were lifted soon after.

Property owner in Sanma Province, Lily Lui said she could barely stand when she was trying to escape.

"It was 11:40 and I was fast asleep. I just fell from my room," she said.

"It's like somebody digging out the house and trying to move the house from where it is placed so I was like, what's going on?

The epicenter was about 25 km (16 miles) west-northwest of Port-Olry.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 24 km (15 miles), and weak-to-light shaking was probably felt throughout Malampa, Penama, Sanma, and Torba provinces.

There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake reports Crisis24  

It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas.

Light aftershocks are possible over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

The US Geological Survey gave the quake a green alert rating, meaning there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

It said the quake struck around 3.30 AM Vanuatu time, 288 kilometres southeast of Isangel, Vanuatu.

It was 10 kilometres deep.

An advisory from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu said no action is required.

The epicenter was about 40 km (25 miles) south of Port Vila.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and shaking was probably felt throughout Efate Island. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely.

It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. [Light, moderate, strong] aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

The magnitude 7.0 quake, which had initially been put at 7.2, was at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the United States Geological Survey.

It occurred about 5pm New Caledonia time and followed a 6.9 magnitude quake, also at the depth of 10 kilometres, 279km southeast of the Loyalty Islands about 8am.

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake occurred an hour and a half after that.