More than 23,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, officials have said.
The total death toll in Turkey and Syria surpassed 23,000 on Friday. The day before 79,717 people were recorded injured after the earthquake that affected 10 provinces in Turkey, according to Turkey’s Disaster Management Authority. Both numbers are likely to rise considerably.
The survivors, many who are now homeless, face “a secondary disaster” as cold and snow lead to “worsening and horrific conditions,” the WHO said.
A positive video of a little girl being rescued from the rubble has been circulating on social media.
Survivors were still being pulled from the rubble across the country but it was less and less likely that the people being found were alive.
The PKK has declared a ceasefire within Turkey in response to the disaster.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said more than 141,000 rescue workers were on the ground responding to the earthquake in Turkey.
“We have more than 141,000 personnel, including foreign teams, working on the ground in 10 provinces. The Disaster Management Agency and other institutions are offering tents, containers, and prefabricated buildings, so that they can meet the needs quickly,” he said during a speech.
Photo by: Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons