The search for survivors continues, so the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says he does not know how much the real number of deaths would be from the series of earthquakes.
More of 4,300 people dead and at least 19,000 injured are reported so far after the series of devastating earthquakes that shook southeastern Turkey near the border with Syria on Monday.
The tragedy also left thousands of buildings in ruins in which the search for survivors continues in the midst of low temperatures.
In Turkey, the death toll rose to 2,921 and the number of injuries to 15,834, As reported this morning by the national emergency agency (Afad), Meanwhile in Syria, at least 1,300 dead and 3,400 wounded.
Some 7,800 people were rescued in Turkey from the rubble of the thousands of buildings that collapsed in the two strong tremors, one of magnitude 7.7 and the other later of 7.6, the government reported, according to the official Anadolu agency.
Likewise, some 25,000 people, including soldiers, are participating in the rescue efforts, according to Orhan Tatar, a senior Afad official, who said that 12.1 million euros (13.3 million dollars) were allocated in urgent funds for the ten most affected provinces.
Besides, dozens of countries began sending hundreds of rescuers and experts to search for survivors.
The vice presidency indicated that more than 300,000 victims of the earthquakes were housed in university centers, shelters and student residences.
The low temperatures and the snow in the area, where there are also mountainous territories that are difficult to access, complicate the rescue tasks.
Local authorities reported cuts in gas and electricity supplies in some areas, and the state oil company cut crude supplies to the region as a “precautionary measure.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) He recalled today that, in these opposition areas, “strongly” affected by the earthquake, there are 4.1 million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, and who are mostly women and children.
That body explained that communication with the land is difficult due to “chronic” interruptions in telephone and internet services, to which is added information about alleged roadblocks in northwestern Syria, as well as in Turkish territory.
Rescue work continues after earthquakes in Syria and Turkey
He Syrian Foreign Ministry, Meanwhile, he asked the UN, NGOs and government organizations to “support” the government’s efforts to deal with the “humanitarian catastrophe,” according to a statement released by the official news agency, SANA.
Thirteen countries of the European Union (EU) offered search and rescue teams on Monday, reported the European Commission, and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan He noted that a total of 45 nations offered help.
In several of the 10 hardest-hit Turkish provinces, gas and electricity cuts occurred, with some reservoirs cracking, although authorities say there is no structural damage.
The first major earthquake was recorded at 04:17 (22:17 Chilean time) and had a magnitude of 7.7, according to the Turkish emergency service Afad, with its epicenter in Pazarcik in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras.
Subsequently, up to 145 more tremors occurred, one of them measuring 7.6 magnitude. “Because debris removal work continues in many buildings in the earthquake zone, we do not know how high the number of deaths and injuries will be,” Erdogan said this morning. The president declared seven days of national mourning throughout the country.
In Kahramanmaras province, an 18-year-old woman was found alive 12 hours after the tremor, and in Diyarbaki, a man was rescued after being trapped for 14 hours, reports Anadolu Agency.
It should be noted that the quake was also strongly felt in Lebanon, including Beirut.
One of the symbols of the enormous destruction of the earthquake is the historic Roman castle of Gaziantep, which had been standing for more than 1,700 years and which was devastated by the telluric movement.
The historic citadel of Aleppo in Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also suffered damage.
The Turkish authorities announced the closure of schools in the ten most affected provinces and all sports competitions were also suspended.