The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday has now risen to more than 11 000.

Most of these deaths have been recorded in Turkey, with Syria seeing at least 2,530 succumbing to the impact of the quakes. The quakes hit in the early hours of Monday morning as people were still asleep.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in the worst affected areas after he announced a three-month state of emergency across 10 provinces, while aid agencies grapple with the complicated logistics of sending emergency assistance to war-hit Syria.