Three Brits have been reported missing as the death toll from the earthquake in Turkey passes 5000. 

Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkey and Syria on Tuesday following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Monday, February 6.

The death toll has been reported to be above 5,000 and is still expected to rise.

The UK Foreign Office has also said that it is supporting at least 35 British nationals caught up in the disaster.

Oxford Mail: The death toll from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and multiple aftershocks rose to more than 5,000 on Tuesday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings. (AP Photo/Hussein)The death toll from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and multiple aftershocks rose to more than 5,000 on Tuesday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings. (AP Photo/Hussein) (Image: (Paul Taylor /Hawkes Bay Today via AP))

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement in the Commons on Tuesday: “As of this morning, we know that three British nationals are missing and the Foreign Office’s Crisis Response Hub is working to support the at least 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by these earthquakes.

“We assess that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low," he added.

More than 8,000 people have been pulled from the debris in Turkey alone.

Around 380,000 people have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels, said Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay.

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said 13 million of the countrys 85 million were affected in some way — and declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces in order to manage the response.

For the entire quake-hit area, that number could be as high as 23 million people, according to Adelheid Marschang, a senior emergencies officer with the World Health Organisation.

“This is a crisis on top of multiple crises in the affected region,” Mr Marschang said in Geneva.

Teams from nearly 30 countries around the world headed for Turkey or Syria.

Turkey has large numbers of troops in the border region with Syria and has tasked the military to aid in the rescue efforts, including setting up tents for the homeless and a field hospital in Hatay province.

The United Nations said it was “exploring all avenues” to get supplies to rebel-held north-western Syria, where millions live in extreme poverty and rely on humanitarian aid to survive.