The most powerful earthquake in nearly a century struck Turkiye and Syria on Monday, killing more than 1,500 people in their sleep, levelling buildings and causing tremors felt as far away as Greenland.

The 7.8-magnitude early morning quake, followed hours later by a slightly smaller one, wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities in a region filled with millions who have fled the civil war in Syria and other conflicts.

Rescuers used heavy equipment and their bare hands to peel back rubble in search of survivors, who they could in some cases hear begging for help under the rubble.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it expected a significant jump in the death toll.

Header image: A rescuer carries a child, following an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria on February 6. — Reuters