The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning has risen to more than 500.

Turkish disaster management officials say the quake with an estimated magnitude of 7.4 hit the southeastern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras, near Syria, on early Monday morning. Its focus is estimated to be 7 kilometers deep.

The jolt caused more than 1,700 buildings to collapse over a wide area.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on Monday disclosed that at least 284 people were killed and more than 2,300 others injured.

Meanwhile, Syria's health ministry announced that 237 deaths have been confirmed mainly in northwestern Syria.

Search and rescue operations have been ongoing.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took to Twitter. His tweet reads: we hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.

Turkish disaster management officials say more than 60 aftershocks, including a magnitude 6.6 tremor, have been observed.

They are urging people not to enter damaged buildings.