Turkey-Syria earthquake updates: Death toll climbs to over 41,000

More than 24 hours after devastating earthquakes, ABC News reporters on the ground are witnessing the fevered effort to rescue survivors at a collapsed apartment building in southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir.

ABC News learned that crews had recently rescued a woman from what used to be an eight-story apartment building, where the top half now rests on three flattened floors below. The front wall had fallen away, exposing what used to be homes with furniture, pillows and air conditioning units.

In and around the collapsed building, there was a flurry of activity -- but then a moment when it all came to a grinding halt. Generators were turned off, everyone stopped talking and the block went silent. Search and rescue teams thought they may have found another survivor. It was quiet for several minutes, but then the urgent effort returns.

Rescuers continued working in the cold, wet weather while also facing the threat of aftershocks. None of that has deterred them. They know this is a race against time.

-ABC News’ Engin Bas, Ibtissem Guenfoud and Marcus Moore

The death toll continues to climb in Turkey and Syria 24 hours after the earthquake struck.

More than 4,300 people have died in the two countries following the devastating earthquake, officials said.

According to the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Management Organization (AFAD), 2,921 people have died in the country from the earthquake, with 15,834 people sustaining injuries.

Approximately 6,217 buildings have collapsed and about 7,840 people have been rescued from the debris and rubble, according to AFAD officials.

In Syria, 1,411 people have died since the earthquake struck the region, officials said.

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman

President Biden called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this afternoon, following the earthquake that caused devastation in Turkey and Syria, the White House said.

Biden extended condolences and "reaffirmed the readiness of the United States to provide any and all needed assistance to our NATO Ally [Turkey] in response to this tragedy," according to the White House.

"[Biden] noted that U.S. teams are deploying quickly to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate other assistance that may be required by people affected by the earthquakes, including health services or basic relief items," the White House said.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday that while the department has not confirmed that any Americans were killed in the recent earthquakes abroad, officials were "realistic" about the high chances of that changing.

"We're all very sober about the implications of this and the fact that many countries, many nationalities are likely to be implicated just given the massive toll and destruction that this earthquake has cost," Price said.

In the meantime, he confirmed that all State Department staff in Turkey are accounted for.

The American consulate in Adana, Turkey, would be able to host first responders coming in from foreign countries, Price added.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford