Türkiye's first nuclear power plant (NPP), now under construction in the country's south, suffered no damage from the earthquakes that jolted the region on Monday morning, officials said.

"Our experts did not detect any damage to the buildings, equipment or cranes in the field. Construction and assembly work continues," said Anastasia Zoteeva, head of the Akkuyu Nuclear project company, adding that the earthquake was felt at a magnitude of approximately 3 in the region in Mersin, where the plant is being built.

According to Zoteeva, state civil defense and emergency protection units are cooperating with the plant's emergency units and are preparing to send equipment and personnel to the region.

The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (1:17 a.m. GMT) in Türkiye's southern province of Kahramanmaraş, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), affecting neighboring provinces, leaving over 1,500 dead and more than 9,000 injured.

Akkuyu on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast will be the country's first nuclear-powered power plant. The plant, expected to have an installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts and four reactors, is set to begin producing power later this year.