The death toll from a powerful earthquake in southeastern Türkiye and Syria has reportedly soared to nearly eight-thousand.

According to Orhan Tatar, the general director of earthquake risk reduction at Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, on Tuesday, the powerful quake with a magnitude of seven-point-eight that hit the south of the country on Monday was followed by over 400 aftershocks.

The number of casualties is likely to rise further as the affected regions are extensive and rescue efforts have been hampered by continued aftershocks and freezing temperatures.

The World Health Organization(WHO) said on Monday that the death toll could rise above 20-thousand, while the U.S. Geological Survey said that the figure may surpass ten-thousand.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that the chances of finding survivors are diminishing with every minute and every hour that passes.

A geology expert told the BBC on Tuesday that the 24 hours following the quake would be crucial to finding survivors, with the number of survivors decreasing enormously after 48 hours.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a three-month state of emergency in ten provinces most-affected by the devastating earthquake and aftershocks.

South Korea's foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that a 60-member team including officials from the National Fire Agency's 119 emergency rescue squad and the Korea International Cooperation Agency will join 50 personnel from the defense ministry to provide support for rescue operations in the affected areas.