Turkey-Syria earthquake: Death toll nears 10,000 as rescuers race against time

About 9,457 people have been confirmed dead from the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.

While the death toll in Turkey has risen to 6,957, Syria says about 2,500 people have died in the country.

Rescuers are racing against time, battling freezing weather conditions as low as -5c, and exhaustion to find survivors of the double quake.

“I see people here complain about the scarcity of rescue efforts, but maybe it is because there are 10 cities affected by the quake and many, many rescue teams are needed,” Reuters quoted a rescue worker from Istanbul, who declined to be named, to have said.

“But we are doing our best, trying to save people.”

Abu Malik al Hamawi, a volunteer said the situation was difficult as there was limited equipment to facilitate quick responses.

“We are here to help. There is no state, no equipment to help people, there are no excavators, or hard equipment. Everything is done by our hands,” he said.

“Whole families are still trapped under buildings.”

On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan announced a three-month state of emergency in the country to enable rapid search-and-rescue operations.

He said the state of emergency would affect the 10 provinces hit by the earthquakes, adding that seven days of mourning had also been declared.

SYRIA SITUATION

Melinda Young, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) senior emergency advisor for Syria, says getting aid into the country’s north is very difficult at the moment.

The earthquake which damaged many roads, especially at the main border crossing, has hampered efforts to transport supplies sent across from Turkey to organisations working in the country, Young said.

She said the situation has been particularly difficult for children who have already gone through years of conflict, with many displaced during that period.

So far, 70 countries including Nigeria, and 14 international organisations have offered aid.