Huge 7.5 aftershock hits. Death toll now over 1,400 in largest earthquake in Turkey-Syria region in over a century

A massive aftershock measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck areas of Turkey and Syria that were devastated by a 7.8 quake this morning (6th). The death toll in the Turkey-Syria earthquake is now over 1,400, with nearly 1,000 in Turkey and over 400 in Syria. Over 6,000 were injured.

Freezing temperatures and snowstorms were hampering rescue efforts in some areas of Turkey, where nearly 3,000 buildings have collapsed in 10 cities.

More than 25 major aftershocks have also hit in the 12 hours after the initial quake.

The largest quake in the region in more than 100 years struck southcentral Turkey and northern Syria early Monday. The quake was felt in at least a dozen countries, with buildings shaking as far away as Romania, Iraq and Egypt.

Rescue teams from several European and Middle Eastern nations were rushing to Turkey, whose government appealed for international assistance as thousands of its own rescue workers continue to comb through the rubble, pulling out survivors and bodies, and hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of injured.

In Turkey alone, President Recep Erdogan said the death toll stood at 912. Another 500 are reported dead in Syria, where the Syrian Civil Defense appealed for international rescue assistance.

The epicenter was 25 km west of the Turkish city of Gaziantep near the border with Syria at 4:17 a.m. local time. It is the strongest earthquake in the region since 1939.

Turkey reported over deaths across seven provinces while Syria reported deaths in three provinces. Hundreds of buildings have collapsed and a large number of fires are raging as rescuers dig through the rubble in the grim hope of finding trapped survivors.

The quake occurred at a triple juncture of three of the Earth's tectonic plates - the Anatolian, Arabian and African. 

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake which killed over 1,500 people on Monday morning (6th) occurred 17.9km below the surface of the Earth, along a line 190km long and 25km wide, according to data from the United States Geological Survey.

The second large quake of the day in the region occurred 10km below the surface along a line 120km long and 18km wide, according to the USGS.