LONDON: Three British nationals are missing in Turkiye following Monday鈥檚 series of earthquakes, and the UK Foreign Office is providing support to at least 35 Britons affected by the disaster, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday.

The earthquakes struck southern Turkiye and northern Syria, killing at least 5,000 people. More than 6,000 buildings collapsed due to the shockwaves, with vital electricity and gas infrastructure damaged amid freezing winter temperatures.

鈥淲e assess that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low,鈥� Cleverly told the UK Parliament. 鈥淭he Turkish government has declared a state of emergency and they are requesting international assistance on a scale that matches the enormity of the situation that they are facing.鈥�

The UK has already authorized the deployment of a medical assessment team, Cleverly said, adding: 鈥淭he further stages of requirement will evolve over time. We will, of course, work closely with our international partners to make sure we address that.

鈥淢any of the 3.5 million Syrian refugees hosted by Turkiye reside in the affected provinces. Turkiye鈥檚 outstanding disaster relief response capability has been severely tested by the sheer scale of this catastrophe.鈥�

He said: 鈥淭urkiye will lead the disaster relief response in the areas of Syria where it has the presence.鈥�

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared 10 provinces in the country as disaster zones.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: 鈥淭he UK stands ready to help in whatever way we can.鈥�