Rescuers in Turkey and Syria continue intensively, in the snow, efforts to locate survivors in the ruins
Struggle for the trapped prevails in Turkey and Syria, as the critical “window” has effectively closed of 72 hours in the rescue operation, with the first deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurring in the early hours of Monday. The rescue crews are fighting against time and adverse conditions.
According to the latest report the victims in Turkey and Syria they reached 16,035. In Turkey the dead amount to 12,873 and in Syria in 3,162. The number of missing remains unknown. Another 62,937 people are injured, in Turkey alone. The number of missing remains unknown. Another 62,937 people are injured, in Turkey alone.
Rescuers in Turkey and Syria continue intensively in the snow to find survivors in the ruins, with hopes dwindling by the hour, four days after the devastating earthquake that struck the two countries and left them their lives already more than 16,000 people.
“The first 72 hours are critical for locating survivors, more than 90% of those rescued have been rescued within this time,” said Ilan Kelman, disaster researcher at University College London (UCL). But that number can vary significantly depending on weather conditions, aftershocks and how quickly rescue teams can get to the scene, he said.
“It’s been 72 hours… The rescue crews will continue for two to three more days, let’s hope that miracles will happen,” said SKAI’s Istanbul correspondent Manolis Kostidis. Rescuers are battling both weather, with the cold in South-East Turkey and Northern Syria likely to cause already weakened trapped people to hypothermia, while the transport network is in poor condition hampering rescue efforts.
“In the devastating earthquakes of 1999, we had 18,000 dead… We will surpass this number,” said Manolis Kostidis.
“They are preparing for at least 1 million homeless people,” he added.
More than 13 million people have been affected by the earthquakes.
The provinces in southern and eastern Turkey affected by the earthquakes are Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Hatay, Osmaniye, Antiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis.
More than 6,000 buildings collapsed due to 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that occurred in less than 10 hours.
Turkey has taken action with all its institutions and resources after deadly earthquakes in its southern provinces, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
“We have mobilized all our resources. The state is working with municipalities, especially AFAD (Presidency for Disaster and Emergency Management), with all means,” Erdogan said as he inspected relief efforts in Kahramanmaras.
To speed up search and rescue operations, Erdogan on Tuesday declared a three-month state of emergency in the quake-hit provinces. In addition, Turkey observes seven days of national mourning following the devastating earthquakes.
All national sporting events in the country have been suspended until further notice. Schools across the country will remain closed until February 13, and education in the 10 affected provinces is on hold until February 20.
After the earthquakes, countries from around the world expressed their solidarity with Turkey, with many countries such as Greece sending rescue teams and aid.
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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.
