Watch:  Earthquake breaks airport runway into two parts in Turkey

The devastating earthquakes that rocked Turkey on Monday split the country’s Hatay Airport’s only runway into two parts, forcing flight operations to shut down immediately which prevented the flying in of relief supplies.

A horrifying video shared by a UK-based news organization shows the damage caused to the runway.

Meanwhile the death toll in the earthquake neared the 5,000 mark  as overwhelmed rescue teams struggled to save people trapped under the rubble, according to a Reuters report.

In the Turkish city of Antakya near the Syrian border, where 10-storey buildings had crumbled onto the streets, Reuters journalists saw rescue work being conducted on one out of dozens of mounds of rubble.

The temperature was close to freezing as the rain came down and there was no electricity or fuel in the city.

The magnitude 7.8 quake hit Turkey and neighbouring Syria early on Monday, toppling thousands of buildings including many apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals, and leaving millions of people injured or homeless.

In Turkey, the death toll climbed to 3,381 people, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said.

The death toll in strife-torn Syria has crossed 1,500, according to the Syrian government and a rescue service in the insurgent-held northwest.