DLNews Breaking News:

UPDATE: Houses collapse and bury their inhabitants, rescuers search for survivors in freezing temperatures - a devastating earthquake has claimed the lives of more than 1800 people in Turkey and Syria. 

Turkish interior minister raises highest alert level - Quake was felt in Cyprus.

Two violent earthquakes shook southeastern Turkey in quick succession early Monday morning. The two quakes had magnitudes of 7.4 and 7.9. First, around 4:17 a.m. (local time/2:17 a.m. CET), the town of Pazarcik in Kahramanmaras province was shaken. The Turkish Civil Protection Agency "AFAD" gave the magnitude of the first Quake as 7.4. Then, at 4:28 a.m. (local time/2:28 a.m. CET), the earth shook another time at a depth of 7 kilometers in Gaziantep - not far from the Syrian border. Several other cities were shaken by aftershocks.

At least 76 deaths have been reported so far, according to the Turkish Disaster Management Authority. According to "CNN Türk," the quakes were even felt in Cyprus. Syria was also hit hard - at least 62 people were killed there. In total, at least 440 people were injured by the quakes.

According to images from the Turkish state broadcaster "TRT," many buildings were damaged, and residents gathered on snow-covered streets. The strongest Quake lasted about a minute.

According to the Ministry of Interior, several provinces were affected, and numerous buildings collapsed. In addition, there had been a total of 22 aftershocks, some of them substantial.

Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu (53) announced, "All available search and rescue teams have been sent to the earthquake areas. We have issued the highest alert." This also means that Turkey has requested international assistance.

Turkey is located in one of the most active earthquake regions in the world. In 1999, a 7.4-magnitude quake in Düzce in the north killed more than 17,000 people.