A strong 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, killing more than 1,300, injuring thousands more and setting off a frantic search for survivors trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the death toll in his nation had skyrocketed to 912. 

The temblor struck before dawn on a rainy, snowy night.

It was felt as far away as Cairo, Cyprus and Lebanon.

There have been at least 20 aftershocks, one a magnitude 6.6, Turkish authorities said.

The quake shook a region torn by the civil war in Syria, which has lasted more than a decade.

The area affected in Syria is divided between government and opposition forces. Turkey hosts millions of refugees from the war.

Many nations immediately offered assistance, including the United States, Germany, France, Greece and Ukraine.