Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center reported an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 that occurred in the vicinity of the Turkish city of Gaziantep. The epicenter of the tremors was located 27 kilometers from the city, TASS reported.

Another earthquake of magnitude 6.7 followed. It was recorded 58 kilometers from the city of Gaziantep.

As a result of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 in seven provinces of Turkey, 76 people were killed and 440 were injured, ANADOLU reports.

For half an hour, tremors were felt in different regions of Turkey - Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Kayseri, Mersin, Trabzon, Urfa. Information about the victims at the moment has not been received.

In the province of Sanlıurfa, 16 houses were destroyed. Local authorities are urging the local population to move to safe places.

An eight-story building collapsed in the Turkish province of Diyarbakir. Search and rescue operations are underway at the site. Residents of nearby houses help rescuers.

The destruction was recorded in the province of Hatay on the border with Syria. At least one building was completely destroyed as a result of tremors.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is aware of the situation with the earthquake in the south-east of the country, a government source said. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that the highest level of alarm had been declared due to strong earthquakes in several regions of the country at once.

Middle Eastern media reported that tremors were also felt in parts of Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. The tremors were repeated several times. As a result of the earthquake in the suburbs of Latakia, a building collapsed, several more received visible damage. Residents of the city and some settlements nearby took to the streets for fear of being under the rubble. Also, a large number of buildings collapsed in some areas of Aleppo, including Fardus, Salahetdin and Bustan al-Qasr. Partially collapsed several buildings in the Al-Arbain quarter in Hama. There are firefighters and rescuers on site, who get the victims from under the rubble.