The passenger flights to Kahramanmaraş, Hatay and Gaziantep airports were suspended after a major 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye's southeast province early Monday morning.

The flights were halted so that planes carrying rescue teams and relief supplies could reach the region as quickly as possible.

Currently, only planes carrying aid and rescue teams are allowed to land and take off from the two airports. Hatay Airport, whose runway was damaged because of the earthquake, was closed for all flights.

The earthquake that hit 10 Turkish provinces and northern Syria occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş at 4:17 a.m. local time (1:17 a.m. GMT), according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The earthquake left over 1,500 people dead and more than 9,000 others injured.

Rescue operations are underway in Hatay and the affected areas, with the AFAD, the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE), 112 emergency health services, police, gendarmerie and fire brigade teams being dispatched to the districts to ramp up the rescue work.

In Iskenderun, a part of the State Hospital, the Catholic Church, Mithatpaşa Primary School and many buildings tumbled to the ground, while most roads remained blocked off for regular vehicles.

Meanwhile, rescue teams continue their search in Kazım Karabekir and on Şaban Akın Uçar Street in Numune Evler District and the Dörtyol district.