A little girl has been found protecting her younger brother after they were trapped under the debris of their collapsed home following a series of powerful earthquakes.

The seven-year-old, called Mariam, and her younger brother Ilaaf were stuck in the debris for around 36 hours.

She told an emergency worker: “Sir, if you rescue me and my brother, I’ll do whatever you want.

“But please get us out of here.”

The young brother and sister were trapped under rubble at their home in Besnaya-Bseineh near Haram, Syria.

In the footage, her younger sibling can be seen beneath the concrete ruins as responders work urgently to rescue the pair.

The girl then moves her arm over her younger brother’s head to protect him.

A photo was later shared of the two children resting on a bed after they were safely rescued from their difficult experience.

Their father, Mustafa Zuhir Al-Sayed, said he, his wife, and their three children were sleeping when the earthquake struck.

He said: “Rubble began falling over our heads and we stayed two days under the debris.”

They were all later rescued from the damaged home.

UN representative Mohamad Safa asked people to “share positivity” amid many difficult stories related to the rising death toll, which is over 11,000 people and could reach 20,000 across the region and Turkey.

Footage of the rescue has been viewed 5 million times on Twitter alone.

One user commented: “They owe no one a thing. Ever. Period. Poor babies. Bless them.”

Another said: “Beautiful. God will give her a long life to continue taking care of her brother, she is an angel.”

Someone else wrote: “The good news is that they have been rescued and are now safe. I hope their family members are also safe so they can be together.”

Another user remarked: “The way she protects her brother’s head… it makes you wonder how many others were or are still in similar situations.”

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and north-western Syria.

The quake was the strongest in Turkey this century and caused widespread damage in Syrian areas already affected by years of conflict.

Over 11,000 people have lost their lives and an estimated 34,000 people have been injured.

The World Health Organization said many more people are likely to be found in both countries, with estimates suggesting the number could reach 20,000.