Turkey Earthquake Videos Show Buildings Collapse Like a 'House of Cards'

Videos on social media show the devastation caused by a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday.

The quake has killed at least 360 people and many more were injured as buildings collapsed across the region, with the toll expected to rise as rescue workers searched through the rubble.

It was centered about 20 miles from the city of Gaziantep, a major Turkish provincial capital, about 60 miles from the Syrian border, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

More than two dozen aftershocks followed, the strongest of them measuring 6.7.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit by the quake.

"We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage," he wrote.

Some have shared videos and photos on Twitter, capturing the moment the earthquake struck and the devastation it caused.

Buildings collapsed like a "house of cards," one Twitter user noted alongside a clip of damage in one street.

Journalist Joyce Karam shared a video posted showing the devastation in the city of Iskenderun, in Hatay province, describing "absolutely horrific scenes."

Photos and videos showed the quake heavily damaged Gaziantep's most famous landmark—its historic castle perched atop a hill in the center of the city. Parts of the walls and watch towers of the fortress were leveled, images showed.

One photo circulating on Twitter showed large cracks that have formed in a road in Elbistan, in southern Turkey and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Aleppo, Syria, shared photos showing blocks of stone that had crashed down onto the floor of a church.

Locals have described the fear and confusion they felt as the major quake hit in the early hours of Monday morning.

"I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I've lived," Erdem, a resident of Gaziantep who did not give his last name, told Reuters. "We were shaken at least three times very strongly, like a baby in a crib."

The United States was "profoundly concerned" about the quake in Turkey and Syria and was monitoring events closely, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

"We stand ready to provide any and all needed assistance," Sullivan said. "President Biden has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess U.S. response options to help those most affected."