Turkey earthquake: Heartbreaking image shows 7-year-old Syrian girl shielding brother under rubble

Pictures and videos of a seven-year-old girl shielding her little brother's head under the quake rubble in Syria have gone viral on social media. The image was also shared by a United Nations representative on Twitter.

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake tore through Turkey and Syria on Monday, leaving thousands of people dead. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and is expected to rise further, according to a report by Associated Press.

Mohamad Safa, a UN representative posted the picture on Twitter and said the children were under rubble for over 17 hours. “The 7-year-old girl who kept her hand on her little brother's head to protect him while they were under the rubble for 17 hours has made it safely. I see no one sharing. If she were dead, everyone would share! Share positivity,” Safa tweeted.

Another user shared a video of the little girl. "While under the rubble of her collapsed home, this beautiful 7-year-old Syrian girl has her hand over her little brothers head to protect him. Brave soul. They both made it out ok," the user said.

Search teams from nearly 30 countries and aid pledges poured in after the deadly quake struck Turkey and Syria. As per the US Geological Survey, the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9 km (11 miles) near the city of Gaziantep.  

Turkey has declared seven days of national mourning after earthquakes jolted southern provinces of the country.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 quake-hit provinces. He called the situation a historic disaster and the worst earthquake to hit Turkey since 1939.

Meanwhile, India has dispatched earthquake relief material along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) search and rescue teams, specially trained dog squads, medical supplies, drilling machines, and other necessary equipment.

Turkey's Ambassador to India said that India was among the first countries to react when Turkey asked for medical assistance from it amid making calls for international help for search and rescue.

Also Read: Syria earthquake: Miracle baby born under rubble, but left orphan as parents killed in quake