Strong earthquake hits Syria and Turkey
WARNING: Graphic Images: Correspondent Alex Hogan reports on the Middle East earthquake that rocked the region on Monday morning, killing thousands in ‘Special Report’.
The earthquake in Turkey and Syria has killed more than 9,400 people, making it the deadliest seismic event in more than a decade.
Turkish authorities updated the country’s death toll on Wednesday to 6,957. In the Syrian government-controlled area, Syrian officials reported 1,250 deaths. The White Helmets, volunteer first responders in a rebel-held enclave of Syria, have reported 1,280 deaths.
More than 30,000 people were injured by the 7.8-magnitude quake on Monday morning, and the death toll is expected to continue to rise as rescue workers search for survivors under the rubble.
The quake is the world’s deadliest seismic event since 2011, when a magnitude 9.0 quake off Japan’s northeast coast triggered a tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people.
RESCUE IN SEARCH OF SURVIVORS IN TURKEY, SYRIA AFTER EARTHQUAKE LEAVES MORE THAN 5,000 DEAD
People try to reach people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building in Malatya, Turkey, Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel on Wednesday to the town of Pazarcik, the epicenter of the quake, and to the most affected province, Hatay. He has faced calls to send more aid to disaster areas. The country now has approximately 60,000 relief workers in the quake-hit area, but many people are still waiting for help as such a wide area was affected.
The quake brought down thousands of buildings, and freezing temperatures and ongoing aftershocks have complicated rescue efforts.
Search teams from more than two dozen countries have been dispatched to assist Turkey’s emergency personnel, and the country has received numerous promises of aid.
In Syria, the earthquake toppled thousands of buildings in the latest devastation to a country facing a 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.
Emergency workers and medics rescue a woman from the rubble of a collapsed building in Elbistan, Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
MORE THAN 2,300 DEAD IN TURKEY, SYRIA AFTER EARTHQUAKE OF 7.8 MAGNITUDES
Turkey is home to millions of war refugees. The area of Syria affected by the earthquake is divided between the territory controlled by the government and the last enclave of the country controlled by the opposition.
According to Adelheid Marschang, senior emergency officer at the World Health Organization, up to 23 million people could be affected in the quake-hit region.
Many survivors in Turkey have had to sleep in cars, outdoors or in government shelters after the earthquake forced them from their homes.
People remove furniture and appliances from a collapsed building after a devastating earthquake struck Syria and Turkey in the city of Jinderis, Aleppo province, Syria, Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
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Erdogan said that 13 million people in Turkey were affected. He declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces.
According to the authorities, more than 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble in Turkey and approximately 380,000 have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels.
In Syria, relief efforts have been hampered by the war and the isolation of the rebel-held border region. The United Nations said it was “exploring all avenues” to deliver supplies to the rebel-held northwest.
Associated Press contributed to this report
