Death toll in Turkiye, Syria earthquake surpasses 15,000
PTI, Feb 9, 2023, 11:50 AM IST
ANI Image
The death toll from the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkiye and Syria rose to more than 15,000 as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of collapsed homes in the stricken zone, Turkiye’s disaster management agency said Thursday.
The agency said 12,391 people had been confirmed killed in Turkiye after Monday’s early morning earthquake and series of aftershocks, which brought down thousands of buildings in southeastern Turkiye.
On the other side of the border in Syria, another 2,902 people have been reported to have been killed. Rescue workers continued to pull living people from the damaged buildings but hope was starting to fade amid freezing temperatures more than three full days since the quake hit.
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the especially hard-hit Hatay province on Wednesday, where residents have criticized the government’s efforts, saying rescuers were slow to arrive.
Erdogan, who faces a tough battle for reelection in May, reacted to mounting frustration by acknowledging problems with the emergency response to Monday’s 7.8-magnitude quake, but said the winter weather had been a factor. The earthquake also destroyed the runway at Hatay’s airport, further disrupting the response.
“It is not possible to be prepared for such a disaster,” Erdogan said. “We will not leave any of our citizens uncared for.” He also hit back at critics, saying ”dishonorable people” were spreading “lies and slander” about the government’s actions.
Teams from more than two dozen countries have joined tens of thousands of local emergency personnel in the effort. But the scale of destruction from the quake and its powerful aftershocks was so immense and spread over such a wide area that many people were still awaiting help.
Experts said the survival window for those trapped under the rubble or otherwise unable to obtain basic necessities was closing rapidly. At the same time, they said it was too soon to abandon hope.
“The first 72 hours are considered to be critical,” said Steven Godby, a natural hazards expert at Nottingham Trent University in England. “The survival ratio on average within 24 hours is 74%, after 72 hours it is 22% and by the fifth day it is 6%.”
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
COP29: UN climate chief calls for urgent climate action to counter economic fallout, inflation
35 killed, 43 injured as driver hits crowd in Chinese city
UN climate summit runs into agenda fight on first day
‘Pure fiction’: Kremlin denies western media reports of phone call between Trump and Putin
China to display new fighter jet drone ship at its airshow
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
FSSAI directs online platforms to deliver food items with minimum 45 day shelf life
Maharashtra Elections | PM Modi has eliminated terrorism, Naxalism; Article 370 not coming back: Amit Shah
Ayodhya: Security beefed up around Ram Temple after ‘threat’ by pro-Khalistan leader Pannun
India successfully test-fires long-range cruise missile
Blind T20 WC: Indian team eyes clearance from MHA, MEA; Sports Ministry clears travel to Pakistan
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.