In Turkey, 6,957 people have been pulled from the rubble, according to the Turkish disaster agency, and another 2,547 have been pulled out in Syria.
Efforts to find survivors in the wreckage in Turkey and Syria are intensive, under adverse weather conditions.
The image of a newborn being pulled alive from the rubble and a father silently squeezing the hand of his dead daughter, whose lifeless body is trapped between two slabs of cement, show the horror of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, whose account has not been stops increasing, now exceeding 9,500 dead in Turkey and Syria.
In Turkey, they have been pulled from the ruins 6,957 dead according to the Turkish disaster agency, and others 2,547 dead have been withdrawn to Syria, according to the authorities and members of the health services.
The death toll is expected to rise significantly as hundreds of people remain trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings and rescue teams race against time to find survivors.
In cold conditions, the rescuers, including the Greek mission of EMAK, continue their race against time to manage to offer help to the survivors of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred early on Monday and shook the southeastern part of Turkey and neighboring Syria.
Bad weather is complicating the rescue efforts and Turkey’s interior minister warned yesterday, Tuesday, that the next 48 hours will be “critical” in finding survivors.
In Gaziantep, a city that was very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, a resident has already given up hope of finding her aunt alive again, who is buried under the rubble. “It is too late. Now we are waiting for our dead,” he said.
International aid has begun to arrive in Turkey, where seven days of national mourning have been declared. The death toll already stands at 6,957 so far. It is now the worst earthquake death toll in Turkey since 1999, when 17,000 people lost their lives, including 1,000 in Istanbul.
In Syria, the death toll stands at 2,547 so far. The toll is expected to “rise significantly as hundreds of people remain trapped in the rubble,” according to the White Helmets (civil protection volunteers) in rebel-held areas.
Twenty-three million people are “likely to be exposed, including about 5 million people who are vulnerable,” the World Health Organization (WHO) warned.
International assistance
The first teams of foreign rescuers arrived yesterday, Tuesday. According to the Turkish president, who declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces affected by the earthquake, 45 countries offered their help.
The EU mobilized 1,185 rescuers and 79 trained dogs from 19 member states, including Greece, France or Germany, for Turkey. For Syria, the EU is in contact with its humanitarian partners there and funding aid operations.
US President Joe Biden pledged to Erdogan’s Turkish counterpart to provide “all the help that is needed, whatever that is”. Two rescue teams were expected to arrive in Turkey this morning.
China announced yesterday that it was sending $5.9 million in aid as well as members of rescue teams specializing in urban rescue, medical teams and emergency supplies.
Even Ukraine, despite the Russian invasion, announced the dispatch of 87 rescuers to Turkey.
The United Arab Emirates pledged $100 million in aid and Saudi Arabia, which has not maintained diplomatic relations with the Damascus authorities since 2012, announced an airlift to help the affected populations in the two countries.
In Syria, the authorities in Damascus made an appeal, which, however, was heeded mainly by their ally Russia. According to the military, more than 300 Russian servicemen are already there to help with rescue operations.
Washington announced yesterday that it is working with local non-governmental organizations in Syria, not the “regime” in Damascus.
The quake hit the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, the only one for almost all of the humanitarian aid to rebel areas in Syria that is routed from Turkey, according to the UN.
The Syrian Red Crescent, which operates in government zones, called on the EU to lift sanctions against Damascus.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
