People stand in a long queue to get relief goods in Hatay, Turkey. Photo: Hai Linh/VNA

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southeast Turkey and northeast Syria on February 6, killing more than 45,000 people as of Friday and casualties keep rising.

It is one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit the region in nearly a century, destroying thousands of buildings, leaving countless people exposed to unforgiving winter conditions, and causing catastrophic damage.