Footage has emerged of a snow-covered apartment block collapsing as the earthquake struck Turkey on Monday morning.

The video shows a newly constructed building in Malatya city crumbling in front of fleeing residents on February 7.

Local media reported that the apartment block, which is part of the 'Asur Houses' project, had been built just last year. It was allegedly touted as an 'earthquake-resistant' structure with reinforced concrete.

Resident Ramazan Casuk recorded the structure collapsing. He said: 'There was panic immediately when it happened.'

A catastrophic magnitude 7.8 quake, measured at a depth of 24.1 kilometres, hit 23 kilometres east of Nurdagi in Gaziantep province at around 4 am on Monday, the United States Geological Survey said.

Several aftershocks, including quakes of magnitudes 6.7 and 7.5, struck the same region hours after.

As of Thursday morning, the total death toll in Turkey and Syria has reached 15,383, with World Health Organization officials warning that it could climb up to 20,000.

Rescuers are still racing to find trapped survivors even as 'extremely severe' weather conditions hamper their efforts.

The tragic earthquake is said to be among the strongest to hit Turkey in the last century.

Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay said authorities were also struggling with 'extremely severe weather conditions'.

TV correspondent Sinem Koseoglu said that 'everywhere there is snow or rain, and it's very cold'.