A series of major earthquakes near Turkey's border with Syria has killed more than 48,000 people. Illegal construction and renovation methods that do not meet earthquake resistance standards have been blamed for the large number of deaths. Turkish lawyers are gathering evidence at the sites to determine who is responsible.

The initial magnitude 7.8 quake hit southern Turkey near Syria on February 6, followed by more tremors. As of Wednesday, the death toll has been put at 42,310 in Turkey and 5,914 in Syria.

Members of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations have begun taking videos and photos of collapsed buildings before debris is removed from the disaster sites.

On Wednesday, volunteer lawyers were seen visiting one collapsed building after another in Antakya, the main city of Hatay Province and one of Turkey's worst affected municipalities.

They took photos and images of steel reinforcement rods to check their thickness and confirm why they were unable to withstand the tremors.

The lawyers asked residents to assist them, and some 50,000 people obliged.

They say the evidence will be utilized when cases are taken to court.

The union's vice president, Sibel Suicmez, said if the buildings had been constructed properly, the number of deaths would not have been so high.

She added it is their responsibility to find who is responsible. She said they should do this for the sake of their children so nobody will lose their life so needlessly in the future.