The government of Antigua and Barbuda has extended condolences to the people and the government of Turkey and Syria following a deadly 7.8 earthquake on Monday, that has caused catastrophic in these countries.

More than 11,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria are now known to have been killed in Monday’s earthquakes

Foreign Affairs Minister E.P Chet Green said “the government regrets the loss of lives and extends condolences to the government and people of Turkey in the wake of the recent earthquake”

Monday’s quake is said to be one of the most powerful to hit the region in a century.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said he quake struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles)

A series of aftershocks reverberated through the region in the immediate hours after the initial incident.

A magnitude 6.7 aftershock followed 11 minutes after the first quake hit, but the largest temblor, which measured 7.5 in magnitude, struck about nine hours later at 1:24 p.m., according to the USGS.

Rescue is underway and there are fears that the death toll could rise to at least 30, 000 people.