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[00:01.96] More than 6,200 people have been reportedly killed in the earthquake and aftershocks that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.

[00:13.65] But officials warn that the number is likely to rise. Tens of thousands of people have also been injured.

[00:24.54] In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency in 10 affected provinces for three months.

[00:37.29] Rescue workers are struggling with difficult conditions and low temperatures.

[00:45.79] Erdogan said more than 3,500 people have died in Turkey.

[00:53.49] Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said 5775 buildings had been destroyed and more than 20,426 people had been injured.

[01:12.35] The government plans to open hotels in Antalya, a place popular with foreign visitors, to temporarily house people displaced by the quake.

[01:27.76] On Tuesday, a large fire was still burning at the southern port of Iskenderun.

[01:36.25] Pictures from Hatay showed many tall housing buildings had collapsed, suggesting that the number of dead might be much higher.

[01:48.74] It is feared that many remain trapped under collapsed buildings.

[01:55.38] One man told Reuters, “They’re making noises but nobody is coming…They’re calling out.

[02:03.88] They’re saying, ‘Save us’ but we can’t save them…”

[02:08.66] From Geneva, the United Nations children’s agency said it fears: “The earthquakes…may have killed thousands of children.”

[02:20.88] In Syria, the government news agency SANA said more than 812 people had died in government-controlled areas.

[02:33.36] In the rebel-held northwest, a rescue group called the White Helmets said at least 900 had died.

[02:44.79] The leader of the group said it is making efforts but it was unable to deal with a large number of collapsed buildings.

[02:56.21] The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the 7.8 magnitude quake was centered in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria.

[03:12.15] Many smaller earthquakes, or aftershocks, followed the first.

[03:18.52] And, nine hours after the first quake, another 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit. Alex Hatem is a USGS geologist.

[03:34.19] He said, “More aftershocks are certainly expected, given the size of the main shock.”

[03:43.49] Researchers say that the earthquake was a strike-slip quake.

[03:50.13] These result when two huge pieces of the Earth’s surface, called tectonic plates, slide past each other.

[04:00.49] Tension builds up between the pieces of the Earth’s crust until the energy is released in the form of an earthquake.

[04:11.11] In this case, one plate moved west while the other moved east, Hatem said. The aftershocks will slowly lessen over time.

[04:24.93] Monday’s earthquake in Turkey was very powerful for one that was centered on land.

[04:32.91] Usually, such strong quakes take place under the sea, said Margarita Segou of the British Geological Survey.

[04:44.85] The quake hit near Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital in Turkey.

[04:53.88] Kishor Jaiswal, a USGS structural engineer, said the area has a lot of vulnerable buildings.

[05:05.05] He said new buildings in cities like Istanbul were designed to withstand earthquakes.

[05:13.56] But many older, tall buildings are not. Also, in Syria, fast building methods and years of war have left many structures weakened.

[05:27.90] Officials say thousands of buildings have collapsed, including “pancake” collapses in which upper floors fall straight down onto lower floors.

[05:42.51] That is a sign that the structures were not built well.

[05:47.82] Rescuers have also been slowed by freezing temperatures and traffic as people flee affected areas.

[05:58.98] The quake was Turkey’s deadliest since the 1999 Izmit earthquake.

[06:06.41] In 2011, a powerful 7.2 magnitude quake struck southeastern Turkey killing 600.