Turkey-Syria earthquake: Rescuers battle snowstorm to find survivors as death toll nears 4500

The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that ripped through Turkey and Syria on Monday has now climbed past 4,300 people.

 Yunus Sezer, Turkey’s head of disaster services,  said at least 2,921 people were killed and more than 15,800 others injured.

In neighboring Syria, at least 1,451 people have died, SANA, the Syrian state news agency, reports.

After the initial earthquake, a series of aftershocks reverberated throughout the day with the largest coming about nine hours after as a second quake that measured 7.5 in magnitude.

Nearly 1,000 search and rescue volunteers have been deployed from Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, along with dogs, trucks, and aid.

A host of countries have also sent rescue workers to help the disaster-struck region where a frantic effort to find and free trapped civilians is underway but a raging rain and snowstorm is hampering efforts.

Poor internet connections and damaged roads between some of the worst-hit Turkish cities, homes to millions of people, have also hindered efforts to assess the impact and plan help.

Residents of the southern Turkish province of Hatay told Reuters that they have had little help since Monday’s earthquakes.

Weeping in the rain, a resident who gave his name as Deniz wrung his hands in despair.

“They’re making noises but nobody is coming,” Reuter quoted him to have said.

“We’re devastated, we’re devastated. My God … They’re calling out. They’re saying, ‘Save us’ but we can’t save them. How are we going to save them? There has been nobody since the morning.”

Rescuers are working around the clock leaving them “very exhausted” as they wait for more aid.