LIVE UPDATES: Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

By: 2 years ago

This aerial view shows residents, aided by heavy equipment, searching for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings following an earthquake in the village of Besnia near the twon of Harim, in Syria’s rebel-held noryhwestern Idlib province on the border with Turkey, on February 6, 2022. – Hundreds have been reportedly killed in north Syria after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that originated in Turkey and was felt across neighbouring countries. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.
Thousands of people were killed and thousands more were injured and have been left homeless.
Turkish and Syrian disaster response teams report more than 5,600 buildings have been flattened across several cities.

Turkey ends quake rescue efforts except in two provinces: official

February 19, 2023 – 10:00 PM

Four men carry a metal frame along a destroyed cobbled street in Demirkopru, a small Turkish village now divided by a large crack in Hatay on February 18, 2023. – A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of February 6, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor just after midday. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and has killed more than 40,000 people (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

Turkey has ended rescue efforts in all provinces except the two hardest hit by last week’s massive quake that killed tens of thousands of people, the Turkish disaster agency said Sunday.

Three rescued from Turkey rubble as earthquake death toll passes 45,000

February 18, 2023 – 07:40 AM

A man stands on rubble, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Antakya, Turkey February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Nir Elias

Rescue teams pulled three people alive from under collapsed buildings in Turkey on Friday, 11 days after an earthquake that has killed more than 45,000, left millions homeless, and sparked a huge relief effort.

Aid focus turns to the homeless and destitute in aftermath of Turkey quake

February 17, 2023 – 12:43 PM

People queue for free food served amid the rubble following the deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

International aid agencies are stepping up efforts to help millions of homeless people, many sleeping in tents, mosques, schools, or cars, 11 days after a massive earthquake hit Turkey and Syria killing more than 42,000.

Two people were reported to have been pulled alive from the rubble in Turkey on Thursday, February 16, but such rescues have become increasingly rare, leaving anger to smolder as hope dies.

Death toll rises above 41,000 in Turkey, Syria quake

February 17, 2023 – 05:53 AM

A resident stands in front of his destroyed home in Samandag, south of Hatay on February 16, 2023, ten days after a 7.8-magnitude struck the border region of Turkey and Syria. – Dozens of arms frantically reach for heaters and blankets handed out by a private donor, illustrating the desperation and rage gripping swathes of Turkey 11 days after its disastrous quake. Many in the Syrian border region town of Samandag listened to their relatives and friends slowly die under the rubble as they waited for rescuers who came too late.The United Nations has launched an appeal for USD1 billion to help victims in Turkey of last week’s catastrophic earthquake that killed thousands of people and left millions more in desperate need of aid. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the funds would provide humanitarian relief for three months to 5.2 million people. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

The death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed above 40,000 on Friday, with hopes fading of finding survivors.

Rescues dwindle in Turkey after earthquake, giving way to grief and anger

February 17, 2023 – 02:08 AM

A man searches through the rubble for the remains of his belongings after his apartment was destroyed in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Adiyaman, Turkey February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

A teenage girl was pulled alive from the rubble in Turkey on Thursday more than 10 days after a devastating earthquake hit the region, but such rescues have become increasingly rare, leaving anger to smoulder as hope dies.

OCD says no need to extend PH rescue team in Turkey

February 16, 2023 – 02:45 PM

FILE PHOTO: People sit next to rubble at the site of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Thursday said there is no need for the Filipino rescue team to extend their stay in earthquake-battered Turkey.

The 82-man interagency contingent was on its sixth day of rescue operations since arriving in the Middle Eastern country on February 9, according to OCD spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.

February 16, 2023 – 01:42 PM

FILE PHOTO: Rescue workers look for survivors amid the rubble of a building in the rebel-held town of Jindayris on February 10, 2023, days after a strong earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. AFP

The Philippine government will send a cash donation for the victims of the earthquake in Syria, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Thursday.

According to OCD spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is just waiting for approval for the cash donation.

February 16, 2023 – 10:33 AM

A view shows the aftermath of the deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 9, 2023. REUTERS

Two women were pulled from the rubble in Turkey’s southern city of Kahramanmaras and a mother and two children were rescued from the city of Antakya on Wednesday, as rescue efforts shifted to getting relief to survivors nine days after a deadly earthquake.

Rescuers could be seen applauding and embracing each other as an ambulance carried away a 74-year-old woman rescued in Kahramanmaras, and earlier in the day, a 46-year-old woman was rescued in the same city, close to the epicenter of the quake.

February 16, 2023 – 7:27AM

Woman is seen in front of displayed social media logos in this illustration taken, May 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

ANKARA — Turkish police said they have arrested 78 people accused of creating fear and panic by “sharing provocative posts” about last week’s earthquake on social media, adding 20 of them were being held in pre-trial detention.

The death toll in Turkey and Syria from the devastating earthquake has climbed above 41,000, and millions are in need of humanitarian aid.

Turkey’s General Directorate of Security said it had identified 613 people accused of making provocative posts, and legal proceedings had been initiated against 293. Of this group, the chief prosecutor had ordered the arrest of 78.

Remains of OFW fatality in Turkey’s earthquake to arrive Wednesday

February 15, 2023 – 03:18 PM

A toy bear is seen on a pile of bricks and concrete in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Elbistan, Turkey February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

The remains of Wilma Tezcan, one of the overseas Filipino workers, who died in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey on Feb. 6, will arrive Wednesday night, Feb. 15, in the country, her father told the Inquirer.

“She will arrive tonight at the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) around 6 with her daughter Irish Nicole,” William Abulad, 67, Wilma’s father, said in a phone interview Wednesday in this city.

February 15, 2023 – 01:05 PM

Parlakgun family return to their tent with mother Tulay pushing baby Salih in a shopping trolly through the destroyed streets in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 14, 2023. REUTERS

Turkish mother-of-three Tulay Parlakgun pushes her son Salih in a shopping trolley lined with blankets past collapsed buildings to a tent where they are sheltering, trying to lift her children’s spirits following last week’s earthquake.

“He likes the shopping trolley. It’s kind of a baby carriage. We are trying to get by like this,” she said as she stroked 3-year old Salih and hugged her older son.

February 15, 2023 – 10:39 AM

Indian medical assistance team members treat patients, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, at 60 Field Para Hospital of the Indian Army, in Iskenderun, a coastal town of Hatay province, Turkey February 14, 2023. REUTERS

Doctors in a Turkish field hospital in the southern city of Iskenderun said they are treating increasing numbers of patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks after last week’s earthquake.

“Initially the patients … were those who sustained injuries under the rubble… now more of the patients are coming with post-traumatic stress disorder, following all the shock that they’ve gone through during the earthquake and what they have seen,” said Indian Army Major Beena Tiwari.

February 15, 2023 – 10:31 AM

Nine survivors were rescued from the rubble in Turkey on Tuesday, more than a week after a massive earthquake struck, as the focus of the aid effort shifted to helping people now struggling without shelter or enough food in the bitter cold.

The disaster, with a combined death toll in Turkey and neighboring Syria exceeding 41,000, has ravaged cities in both countries, leaving many survivors homeless in near-freezing winter temperatures.

February 15, 2023 – 06:00 AM

Members of the Zeytinburnu Municipality Search and Rescue Team (ZAK) comfort themselves by the rubble of collapsed buildings in Nurdagi, near Gaziantep, on Feb. 13, 2023, as rescue teams began to wind down the search for survivors, a week after an earthquake devastated parts of Turkey and Syria leaving more than 35,000 dead and millions in dire need of aid. (Photo by ZEIN AL RIFAI / Agence France-Presse)

A Filipino woman and her three children remain missing following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Turkey, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.

The woman, who is married to a Turkish national, is believed to have been trapped with her children inside their house since the quake struck on Feb. 6, according to Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega. Her husband was not at home at that time.

February 14, 2023 – 06:01 PM

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said more rescue teams from the Philippine government will be sent to give assistance in Turkey and Syria following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck there.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega said the Philippine embassies in Ankara, Istanbul, and Lebanon will send teams to help with residents and Filipinos who were affected by the strong temblor.

“May parating pang team, kasi meron tayong embahada sa Ankara at konsulado sa Istanbul ang involved, may darating pa na team from Lebanon para magbigay rin ng tulong so yun ang importante,” he added.

February 14, 2023 – 04:22 PM

Rescue workers look for survivors amid the rubble of a building in the rebel-held town of Jindayris on February 10, 2023, days after a strong earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.. (AFP)

Juliva Belingan, a Filipino woman earlier reported missing, was found days after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated the central part of Turkey, the Philippine Embassy in Ankara announced on Tuesday.

“As she recovers well at an Adana hospital, she thanks God for a second chance at life and the Embassy for their well-wishes. The team provided her with financial assistance and gave her doctors and nurses tokens of appreciation,” the embassy said in a statement.

February 14, 2023 – 04:14 PM

Muhammed Cafer Cetin, a 18-year-old earthquake survivor, is rescued from the rubble of a building some 198 hours after last week’s devastating earthquake, in Adiyaman, Turkey February 14, 2023. Ihlas News Agency (IHA) via REUTERS

An 18-year-old named Muhammed Cafer was rescued from the rubble of a building in southern Turkey on Tuesday, the third rescue of the morning some 198 hours after last week’s devastating earthquake, broadcaster CNN Turk said.

Last Monday’s quake and a major aftershock have killed more than 37,000 people in southern Turkey and northwest Syria, according to official tallies expected to rise much higher.

February 14, 2023 – 02:00 PM

A handout image released by the Mexican Foreign Ministry shows rescue dog Proteo of the National Defense Ministry (SEDENA), upon arrival at the airport in Adana, Turkey, on February 8, 2023. AFP

Mexico on Monday paid tribute to a military rescue dog that died while searching for survivors buried under the rubble of the earthquake in Turkey.

Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval announced the death of the German shepherd called Proteo at President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s daily news conference.

February 14, 2023 – 01:34 PM

FILE PHOTO: A still image from video, released by Russia’s Defence Ministry, shows people including Russian military personnel involved in a search and rescue operation after a devastating earthquake in the region of Latakia, Syria, in this image taken from handout footage released February 7, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

More than 300 Russian servicemen and 60 units of special military equipment are helping Syria in its response to a devastating earthquake that struck more than a week ago, Russia’s defense ministry said on Tuesday.

The 7.8 magnitude Feb. 6 quake and aftershocks killed more than 37,000 in Turkey and Syria and the death toll looked set to keep rising with almost no chances of rescuers finding any more survivors in the rubble.

February 14, 2023 – 11:06 AM

Rescuer workers carry Kaan, a-13-year old Turkish teenager, to an ambulance after being rescued from the rubble after 182 hours, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 13, 2023. REUTERS

Rescuers in Turkey pulled several people alive from collapsed buildings on Monday, a week after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history, but hopes of many more survivors were fading and criticism of the authorities grew.

In hard-hit Kahramanmaras, rescuers were attempting to reach a grandmother, mother and daughter, all from one family, who appeared to have survived the 7.8 magnitude Feb. 6 quake and aftershock which killed more than 37,000 in Turkey and Syria.

February 14, 2023 – 10:40 AM

A general view of destroyed houses covered in snow, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Elbistan town, Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 12, 2023. REUTERS

For Viktor Holczer, a Hungarian IT expert, Turkey was the first major rescue mission in which he took part as a volunteer. And he will always remember the moment when he grabbed the hand of 17-year-old Asya, rescued from the rubble almost four days after last week’s quake.

As part of the Hungarian team of Caritas Hungary and Budapest Rescue Service, the 26-year-old Holczer said the task of getting to the girl under a collapsed apartment block in the Turkish town of Kahramanmaras seemed almost impossible.

February 14, 2023 – 10:27 AM

The humanitarian team from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has started augmenting emergency efforts in earthquake-hit Turkey to help victims and find survivors under collapsed buildings in this photo taken on Sunday, Feb. 12. (Photo courtesy of SBMA)

The eight-man humanitarian team that the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) deployed to Turkey in the aftermath of the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake has started helping emergency responders in the area.

The SBMA said the team conducted an urban search-and-rescue operation on Sunday, Feb. 12, in Turkey’s Adiyaman City.

February 13, 2023 – 06:17 PM

Rescuers carry 20-year-old survivor Ibrahim Kantrji, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 10, 2023. (REUTERS)

The Turkish government has declined the offer of the Philippines t0 send a second batch of rescuers as prospects of finding survivors in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake become less likely.

“We got information that the Turkish government will no longer accept a second contingent coming from us,” Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a press conference.

February 13, 2023 – 05:25 PM

Rescuers carry 20-year-old survivor Ibrahim Kantrji, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 10, 2023. (REUTERS)

A 53-member team from the Philippine National Police is ready to be airlifted to earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria, PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. on Monday.

“We are preparing, and we have about 53 PNP personnel ready to be deployed to join the rescue mission. But up to now, we have yet to wait for the final word of the OCD and DND,” he said in a press briefing.

February 13, 2023 – 03:43 PM

A person keeps warm by a fire as the search for survivors continues in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 13, 2023. REUTERS

Rescuers pulled a woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Turkey on Monday, broadcaster CNN Turk reported, a week after a major earthquake struck Turkey and Syria killing more than 33,000 people.

Sibel Kaya, 40, was rescued in southern Gaziantep province, some 170 hours after the first of two quakes struck the region, the report said. Rescue workers in Kahramanmaras had also made contact with three survivors, believed to be a mother, daughter and baby, in the ruins of a building.

February 13, 2023 – 03:02 PM

Handout picture released by El Salvador’s presidency press office showing members of El Salvador’s Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) carrying a woman during rescue operations in Sehit Aileleri, Kahramanmaras, Turkey on February 12, 2023. AFP

Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble a week after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria leaving more than 33,000 dead, as the UN warned the toll was set to rise far higher.

A young boy and a 62-year-old woman were the latest miracle rescues after nearly seven days trapped under the wreckage of collapsed buildings since last Monday’s devastating quake.

February 13, 2023 – 11:24 AM

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks during the U.N. Security Council meeting on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine at the United Nations headquarters in New York, U.S., February 6, 2023. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

The United States on Sunday called for the United Nations Security Council to “vote immediately” to authorize the delivery of U.N. aid to rebel-held northwest Syria through more border crossings from Turkey after last week’s deadly earthquake.

Since 2014 the U.N. has been able to deliver aid to millions of people in need in the northwest part of war-torn Syria through Turkey under a Security Council mandate. But it is currently restricted to using just one border crossing.

February 13, 2023 – 10:45 AM

A woman pushes a baby carriage carrying her belongings, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Adiyaman, Turkey, February 12, 2023. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar

Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble on Sunday, nearly a week after one of the worst earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria, as Turkish authorities sought to maintain order across the disaster zone and began legal action over building collapses.

With chances of finding more survivors growing more remote, the toll in both countries from Monday’s earthquake and major aftershocks rose above 33,000 and looked set to keep growing. It was the deadliest quake in Turkey since 1939.

February 13, 2023 – 07:40 AM

View shows damaged and collapsed buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

The US government on Sunday called on Syria and all parties to immediately grant humanitarian access to all those in need across the country after Monday’s earthquake and major aftershocks that have killed at least 33,000 people.

“All humanitarian assistance must be permitted to move through all border crossings, and distribution of aid must be permitted to all affected areas without delay,” a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said.

February 12, 2023 – 10:02PM

FILE PHOTO: A man walks past a partially collapsed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Pazarcik, Turkey February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Turkey vowed on Sunday to investigate thoroughly anyone suspected of responsibility for the collapse of buildings in the country’s devastating earthquakes nearly one week ago and has already ordered the detention of 113 suspects.

Vice President Fuat Oktay said overnight that 131 suspects had so far been identified as responsible for the collapse of some of the thousands of buildings flattened in the 10 provinces affected by the tremors early last Monday.

“Detention orders have been issued for 113 of them,” Oktay told reporters in a briefing at the disaster management coordination centre in Ankara.

Syria’s White Helmets ‘answering all calls’ to save lives after quake

February 12, 2023 – 9:19PM

Members of the Syria Civil Defense (White Helmets) work at their media center, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in the rebel-held town of Sarmada, Syria, on February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

As an excavator claws at the shattered remains of yet another home in Syria’s rebel-held northwest, Abdel Qader Abdelrahman surveys the debris in the hope of spotting people who might – against all the odds – still be alive underneath.

The former school principal joined the White Helmets in 2022 as a medic, drawn to its humanitarian mission through a 12-year war that has carved Syria into cantons held by rival armed groups.

Monday’s deadly earthquake – which has so far killed more than 2,000 people in the rebel-held enclave and more than 3,500 in total across Syria – forced him to take on a more direct search and rescue role.

Children among those pulled from destroyed buildings in Turkey’s Hatay

February 12, 2023 – 9:07PM

FILE PHOTO: A child is rescued from the rubble after 150 hours in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 12, 2023 in this screen grab taken from a handout video. Turkish Health Ministry/ Handout via REUTERS

A father and daughter, a toddler, and a 10-year-old girl were among survivors pulled from the ruins of collapsed buildings in the southern Turkish province of Hatay on Sunday.

Monday’s earthquake flattened swathes of towns and cities in parts of Turkey and Syria, killing at least 28,000 people. As rescue efforts enter their sixth day, time for crews to reach trapped victims alive under the rubble is running out, but emergency crews are still finding survivors.

PH to donate $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Turkey quake victims

February 12, 2023 – 6:43PM

FILE PHOTO: Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar

The Philippines will donate $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Turkey earthquake victims through the House of Representative Speaker’s Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Initiative.

According to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, the money also counts as a gift and symbol of gratitude from the Philippines to Turkey for helping Leyte, and many parts of Eastern Samar in November 2013 – when Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) ravaged parts of the country, killing at least 6,000 people.

EU envoy to Syria: ‘absolutely unfair’ to be accused of shirking earthquake aid

February 12, 2023 – 02:39 PM

View shows damaged and collapsed buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 11, 2023. REUTERS

The European Union’s envoy to Syria said early on Sunday that it was not fair to accuse the group of failing to provide enough help to Syrians following the earthquake that devastated large parts of Syria and Turkey last week.

Dan Stoenescu told Reuters the bloc and its member states have gathered more than 50 million euros to provide aid and back rescue missions and first aid in both government-held and rebel-controlled parts of Syria.

February 12, 2023 – 12:12 PM

A resident stands covered with a blanket in front of his collapsed building as rescue teams carry out search operations at Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras on February 11, 2023, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s southeast earlier in the week. AFP

Tuba Yolcu is desperate for news of her missing aunt and scours a sports hall where victims of a powerful earthquake that hit her hometown in Turkey lie in body bags.

“We hear (the authorities) will no longer keep the bodies waiting after a certain period of time, they say they will take them and bury them,” she said.

February 12, 2023 – 11:17 AM

Women react near an ambulance after the body of their relative was retrieved in the rubble of destroyed buildings in Nurdagi, in the hard hit region of Gaziantep, on February 11, 2023, five days after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the border region of Turkey and Syria. AFP

The death toll from a massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria will “double or more” from its current level of 28,000, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths has said.

Griffiths arrived on Saturday in Turkey’s southern city of Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of the first 7.8-magnitude tremor that upturned millions of lives in the pre-dawn hours of Monday.

February 12, 2023 – 11:06 AM

A Syrian, displaced as a result of the deadly earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, walks past tents at temporary camp in the village of al-Hamam in the countryside of Jandairis in northwest Syria on February 11, 2023. AFP

Rescuers pulled a seven-month-old baby and a teenage girl from the rubble on Sunday, nearly a week after an earthquake devastated Turkey and Syria and killed more than 28,000 people.

Tens of thousands of rescue workers are scouring flattened neighborhoods despite freezing weather that has deepened the misery of millions now in desperate need of aid.

February 12, 2023 – 10:32 AM

Rescuers attend 11-year-old survivor Mohammad Alkanaas in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 11, 2023. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

Exhausted rescuers pulled dwindling numbers of survivors from earthquake rubble in Turkey and Syria on Saturday five days after one of the region’s worst natural disasters whose death toll neared 26,000 and looked set to rise far higher.

Some rescue operations were halted after reports of looting.

February 12, 2023 – 09:39 AM

The family in this city of Wilma Tezcan, one of the overseas Filipino workers who died in the quake in Turkey, expressed relief that her remains will be brought back home through the efforts of the Philippine government.

“We’re so thankful to the government and to all who supported our appeal to bring her home,” William Abulad, 67, Wilma’s father, said in an online interview on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 11).

However, he appealed to the government to shoulder the cost of the repatriation of her body as they lack the money for the expenses.

February 11, 2023 – 11:17 PM

A view of damage, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo by STOYA NENOV / Reuters)

Rescuers in Turkey pulled more people from the rubble early on Saturday, five days after the country’s most devastating earthquake since 1939, but hopes were fading in Turkey and Syria that many more survivors would be found.

In Kahramanmaras, close to the quake’s epicenter in southern Turkey, there were fewer visible rescue operations amid the smashed concrete mounds of fallen houses and apartment blocks, while ever more trucks rumbled through the streets shipping out debris.

February 11, 2023 – 07:45 PM

Rescue workers try to rescue a 15-year-old girl trapped under the rubble, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 10, 2023. Internationaler Katastrophenschutz/Handout via REUTERS

In Kahramanmaras, close to the quake’s epicenter in southeastern Turkey, there were fewer visible rescue operations amid the smashed concrete mounds of fallen houses and apartment blocks, while ever more trucks rumbled through the streets shipping out debris.

February 11, 2023 – 01:42 PM

An image of late revolutionary hero Ernesto “Che” Guevara is displayed during a farewell ceremony of Cuban doctors heading to Turkey to assist in earthquake relief, in Havana, Cuba, February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

Cuba prepared on Friday to send healthcare workers to Turkey and Syria, joining a growing group of nations providing rescue and medical aid to the region after a devastating earthquake this week.

Cuban authorities in Havana on Friday evening said 32 medics were set to depart for Turkey. Earlier in the week, Syrian ambassador Ghassan Obeid told Cuban state-run media that 27 Cuban medics would be headed to Syria.

February 11, 2023 – 07:55 AM

A quake-hit child sits in front of a heater inside a tent set by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) at a stadium in Kahramanmaras on February 10, 2023, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s southeast earlier in the week. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

Rescuers pulled out children Friday from the rubble of the Turkey-Syria earthquake as the toll approached 24,000 and a winter freeze compounded the suffering for nearly one million people estimated to be in urgent need of food.

The stench of death hung over Turkey’s eastern city of Kahramanmaras — the epicenter of the first 7.8-magnitude tremor that upturned millions of lives in the pre-dawn hours of Monday.

February 10, 2023 – 11:29 PM

A rescuer holds baby boy Kerem Agirtas, a 20-day-old survivor who was pulled from under the rubble, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 8, 2023. (REUTERS)

Rescue crews saved a 10-day-old baby and his mother trapped in ruins of a building in Turkey on Friday and dug several people from other sites as President Tayyip Erdogan said authorities should have reacted faster to this week’s huge earthquake.

The confirmed death toll from the deadliest quake in the region in two decades stood at more than 22,000 across southern Turkey and northwest Syria four days after it hit.

February 10, 2023 – 04:25 PM

An aerial view shows collapsed buildings, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Davao City and Pasig City’s local governments and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) expressed willingness to deploy their rescue teams to earthquake-hit Turkey, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Friday.

“We have several LGUs who volunteered, expressing their willingness to join. We have the City of Davao, we have Pasig City, and the BARRM government,” OCD spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a press conference in Quezon City.

Turkey’s Erdogan faces voter fury in quake zone: ‘Shame on you!’

February 10, 2023 – 2:51PM

Victims inside body bags lie next to the rubble of a collapsed building in Adiyaman, Turkey, on February 9, 2023, three days after a 7,8-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey. – The death toll from the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria kept on climbing February 9, 2023, topping 21,000 as the first UN aid reached Syrian rebel-held zones but hopes of finding more survivors faded. (Photo by Ilyas AKENGIN / AFP)

Hakan Tanriverdi has a simple message for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan days after Turkey – now called Türkiye – suffered its worst disaster in generations: “Don’t come here asking for votes.”

The earthquake that killed more than 21,000 people across Turkey and Syria came at one of the most politically sensitive moments of Erdogan’s two-decade rule.

The Turkish leader has proposed holding a crunch election on May 14 that could keep his Islamic-rooted government in power until 2028.

Marcos ‘deeply regrets’ death of two Filipinos in Turkey quake

February 10, 2023 – 11:17AM

A woman looks at the destruction following an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed “deep regret” over the death of two Filipinos in Turkey, which was rattled by a 7.8-magnitude quake early this week.

He then gave assurance that the government, particularly the Philippine embassy, is working “tirelessly” to verify and consolidate information on Filipinos affected by the earthquake.

“It is with deep regret that we learn of the passing of two Filipinos in the recent 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated Türkiye,” Marcos said in a Twitter post.

UN earthquake aid convoy reaches Syria where ‘everything’ needed

February 10, 2023 – 10:05AM

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid are seen at the Bab al Hawa border crossing with Turkey, Syria February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Omar Al-Bam

The first United Nations convoy carrying emergency aid to a rebel-held area of Syria stricken three days ago by a deadly earthquake crossed from Turkey on Thursday.

The trucks, with materials from jerrycans to blankets, went via the Bab Al Hawa crossing to Idlib city in an area of northwest Syria where 4 million people, many uprooted by civil war, had relied on aid even before Monday’s quake.

The disaster has killed more than 17,000 people in Turkey and Syria, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Death toll tops 21,000 from Turkey-Syria quake as hopes fade

February 10, 2023 – 8:53AM

Families of victims stand as rescue officials search among the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, on February 9, 2023, three days after a 7,8-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey. The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed to more than 17,100 on February 9, as hopes faded of finding survivors stuck under rubble in freezing weather. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

The death toll from the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria kept on climbing Thursday, topping 21,000 as the first UN aid reached Syrian rebel-held zones but hopes of finding more survivors faded.

The chief of the World Health Organization said he was on his way to Syria, as bitter cold hampered the search of thousands of flattened buildings and threatened the lives of many quake victims who are without shelter and drinking water.

Relatives were left scouring body bags laid out in a hospital car park in Turkey’s southern city of Antakya to search for missing relatives, an indication of the scale of the tragedy.

2 Filipinos dead in Turkey earthquake

February 10, 2023 – 7:44AM

A member of a rescue team walks with his tools towards a collapsed building following an earthquake in the government-held Syrian city of Aleppo on Feb. 6, 2023. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing hundreds of people as they slept, levelling buildings, and sending tremors that were felt as far away as the island of Cyprus and Egypt. (Photo by AFP)

Two Filipinos in Turkey have died following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck there, the Philippine Embassy in Ankara reported on Friday.

The embassy condoled with the bereaved families.

“It is with deepest regret that the Embassy must inform the public of the passing of two Filipinos, both earlier reported to be missing in Antakya,” it said in a statement.

“The Embassy and Consulate General express their deepest condolences and are in coordination with the victims’ families in both the Philippines and in Turkiye,” it added.

Blinken, Turkish counterpart discussed US assistance after earthquakes

February 10, 2023 – 7:32AM

FILE PHOTO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, May 18, 2022. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/Pool

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday, their second call in four days, to discuss how the United States can assist Turkey and Syria following devastating earthquakes this week, the State Department said.

“This was primarily an effort to garner from our Turkish allies what they would like to see from the United States,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters, adding that the United States expects it will have more to say on Turkey aid soon.

The death toll across both countries has now surpassed 20,000, more than the 17,000 killed in 1999 when a similarly powerful quake hit northwest Turkey.

3 Filipinos in Turkey reported missing

Februaryy 10, 2023 – 5:52AM

Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar

At least three Filipinos reportedly remain missing in Turkey following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that has so far killed thousands, including in Syria.

“Unfortunately there are three Filipinas still missing from Hatay, one of the 11 provinces affected by the two earthquakes that hit us,” Weng Timoteo, vice president of the Filipino Community in Turkey, said in an interview on ANC.

She added that there were three children with the missing Filipinos.

Hope fades for survivors as Turkey-Syria earthquake toll passes 20,000

February 10, 2023 – 4:30AM

A man carries the body of child who was killed with his parents in a deadly earthquake, during a funeral in the village of Gozebasi in Adiyaman province, Turkey, February 9, 2023. (REUTERS)

Cold, hunger and despair gripped hundreds of thousands of people left homeless after the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria three days ago as the death toll passed 20,000 on Thursday.

The rescue of a 2-year-old boy after 79 hours trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in Hatay, Turkey, and several other people raised spirits among weary search crews. But hopes were fading that many more would be found alive in the ruins of towns and cities.

The death toll across both countries has now surpassed the more than 17,000 killed in 1999 when a similarly powerful earthquake hit northwest Turkey.

In the face of death: Filipina survivor recalls horrors of Turkey earthquake

February 10, 2023 – 1:51AM

People look on as the search for survivors continues in the aftermath of an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. (REUTERS)

In Antakya, Turkey, Filipina Caroline Cengiz and her husband were getting ready to sleep when the unthinkable happened; a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck their area and parts of neighboring Syria, leaving a horrendous trail of death and destruction.

Cengiz and her husband’s family would become survivors of one of the 21st century’s deadliest natural calamities.

Turkey, Syria quake toll tops 16,000 as cold compounds misery

February 09, 2023 – 02:46PM

People sit near a bonfire amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, on February 8, 2023, two days after a 7,8-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey. AFP

Freezing temperatures deepened the misery Thursday for survivors of a massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria that killed more than 16,000 people, as rescuers raced to save countless people still trapped under rubble.

The death toll from Monday’s 7.8-magnitude quake is expected to rise sharply as rescue efforts pass the 72-hour mark that disaster experts consider the most likely period to save lives.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded “shortcomings” after criticism of his government’s response to the earthquake, one of the deadliest this century.

DMW issues advisory to aid OFWs in earthquake-hit Turkey

February 09, 2023 – 02:45PM

Department of Migrant Workers Sec. Susan “Toots” Ople. Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) issued an advisory to assist overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the recent earthquake in Turkey.

The DMW advisory, issued late Wednesday, directed all licensed manning agencies (LMAs) and private recruitment agencies (PRAS) to continuously monitor the situation of OFWs and provide any assistance required.

DMW advises LMAs and PRAs to cooperate with the Migrant Workers’ Office in Lebanon and submit reports immediately.

PH rescue team lands in earthquake-battered Turkey — OCD

February 09, 2023 – 01:04PM

The contingent rescue team from different agencies conducts a readiness inspection in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Tuesday before heading to Turkey. John Eric Mendoza/INQUIRER.net

The 83-man Philippine rescue team has already arrived in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) announced.

OCD Joint Information Center head Diego Agustin Mariano said the plane landed at 12:08 pm, Philippine time.

Initially, the Philippine contingent consisted of 87 men but four had issues in documentation.

“There were 87 original personnel given to [Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.], but two from the OCD did not join due to lack of travel documents and the latest two from the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) did not also join also because of lack of documents,” Mariano told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

Taiwan president to donate a month’s salary for Turkey relief efforts

February 09, 2023 – 12:44PM

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai attend a news conference on new measures to reinforce the island’s civil defense amid the rising China military threat in Taipei, Taiwan, December 27, 2022. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai will each donate a month’s salary for Turkish earthquake relief efforts, the presidential office said on Thursday, adding to existing aid already sent by the island.

Tsai and Lai, who is widely expected to stand for the presidency in elections due next year, “hope to do their part to help Turkey rebuild its homeland as soon as possible”, the presidential office said in a statement.

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday admitted there were problems with his government’s initial response to the quake, as the combined reported death toll in Turkey and neighboring Syria rose past 15,000.

LOOK: Father holds hand of dead daughter under rubble in Turkey quake

February 09, 2023 – 11:56AM

Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, close to the quake’s epicenter, the day after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s southeast, on February 7, 2023. -AFP

Heartrending scenes of a newborn plucked alive from the rubble and a broken father clutching his dead daughter’s hand have laid bare the human cost of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey that by Thursday had claimed over 15,000 lives.

For three days and nights since the 7.8 magnitude quake an impromptu army of rescuers have worked in freezing temperatures to find those still entombed among ruins in several cities either side of the border.

Turkish leader admits ‘shortcomings’ as quake toll tops 15,000

February 09, 2023 – 10:56AM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tours the site of destroyed buildings during his visit to the city of Kahramanmaras in southeast Turkey, two days after the severe earthquake that hit the region on February 8, 2023. – The death toll from a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria rose above 11,200 on February 8, 2023 as rescuers raced to save survivors trapped under debris in the winter cold. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded “shortcomings” after criticism of his government’s response to the massive earthquake that has killed over 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

The sprawling scale of the disaster that flattened thousands of buildings, trapping an unknown number of people, has swamped relief operations already hampered by freezing weather.

Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter — and in some cases watch helplessly as their relatives called for rescue, and eventually went silent under the debris.

The man who survived the Turkey earthquake, and his family who didn’t

February 09, 2023 – 10:29AM

Abdulalim Muaini lies under the rubble next to the body of his wife Esra, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS

Peering out from under a large slab of concrete and brick, Abdulalim Muaini gestures weakly at his rescuers. It has been over two days since a massive earthquake brought his home in Hatay, Turkey, tumbling down upon him.

Close beside him lies his wife Esra. The rescue has come too late for her.

Reuters photographer Umit Bektas was on the second day of his assignment in Hatay, one of the places hardest-hit by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 11,500 people across southern Turkey and northern Syria.

Heading towards one of the city’s most damaged neighborhoods, he asked the search and rescue volunteers the same question he had asked countless times: Did you reach anybody alive?

Turkey ‘deeply moved, grateful’ for PH earthquake aid

February 09, 2023 – 09:29AM

People sit next to rubble at the site of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Turkey expressed appreciation on Thursday to the Philippines, saying that they are “deeply moved” after the latter provided assistance to the earthquake-hit nation.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that the Philippines will send an 85-man team to help Turkey after the nation experienced a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6.

Turkey earthquake rescue challenges: Winter, blocked roads, aid for survivors

February 09, 2023 – 09:24AM

A woman looks at the destruction following an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Winter, blocked roads, and assistance for survivors are among the challenges that rescuers are facing following the Turkey-Syria earthquake.

On February 6, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria.

Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Akyol said on Thursday that the freezing weather hampers the efforts of rescue teams.

Turkey leader acknowledges earthquake relief problems as death toll passes 12,000

February 9, 2023 – 08:23AM

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan talks to media in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 8, 2023. Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday admitted there were problems with his government’s initial response to a devastating earthquake in southern Turkey, amid anger from those left destitute and frustrated over the slow arrival of rescue teams.

Erdogan, who contests an election in May, said on a visit to the disaster zone that operations were now working normally and promised no one would be left homeless, as the combined reported death toll across Turkey and neighbouring Syria rose past 12,000.

Death toll from Syria-Turkey quake nears 10,000

February 8, 2023 – 04:07 PM

Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Families in southern Turkey and Syria spent a second night in the freezing cold on Wednesday as overwhelmed rescuers raced to pull people from the rubble two days after a massive earthquake that killed more than 9,600 people.

In Turkey, dozens of bodies, some covered in blankets and sheets and others in body bags, were lined up on the ground outside a hospital in Hatay province.

February 8, 2023 – 02:47 PM

People who evacuated their homes warm up around a fire on a street, in the aftermath of the earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria February 8, 2023. REUTERS

Afghanistan’s Taliban administration will send around $165,000 in aid to Turkey and Syria to help the response to a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck this week, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Afghanistan is in the grips of a severe economic and humanitarian crisis and is itself the location of one of the United Nation’s largest humanitarian aid programs. The Taliban took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, sparking enforcement of sanctions on its banking sector, and no capital has formally recognized its government.

February 8, 2023 – 01:09 PM

This aerial view shows residents searching for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings following an earthquake in the village of Besnia near the town of Harim, in Syria’s rebel-held northwestern Idlib province on the border with Turkey, on February 6, 2022.AFP

The United States said Tuesday it was working with partners to provide earthquake relief in Syria but would stand firm against working with the Damascus government.

The United States also said it expected to send further assistance to Turkey after sending two rescue teams to the NATO ally, which suffered heavily as well in Sunday’s earthquake.

February 8, 2023 – 12:59 PM

People stand next to victims’ bodies near the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, on February 7, 2023, a day after a 7,8-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey. AFP

With every passing moment, Ebru Firat knows the chances dim of finding her cousin alive under the rubble of a flattened building in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep.

And with that fading hope, the 23-year-old’s grief is being replaced by rage at the government’s earthquake response.

February 8, 2023 – 10:23 AM

EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / A newborn baby who was found still tied by her umbilical cord to her mother and pulled alive from the rubble of a home in northern Syria following a deadly earthquake, receives medical care at a clinic in Afrin, on February 7, 2023. AFP

Extended family members pulled a newborn baby alive from the rubble of a home in northern Syria, after finding her still tied by her umbilical cord to her mother, who died in Monday’s massive quake, a relative said.

The infant is the sole survivor of her immediate family, the rest of whom were all killed when the 7.8-magnitude quake that struck Syria and neighboring Turkey flattened the family home in the rebel-held town of Jindayris, Khalil al-Suwadi said.

February 8, 2023 – 08:10 AM

Search and rescue operations continue following the earthquake in Bisnia, Syria, February 7, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. White Helmets/via REUTERS

At least 1,932 people were killed and thousands injured in Syria following a number of deadly earthquakes and aftershocks in neighboring Turkey, authorities and rescuers said on Tuesday.

State news agency SANA said at least 812 people were killed and 1,449 people injured in the government-held provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Idlib and Tartous.

February 8, 2023 – 06:31 AM

Rescuers in Turkey and Syria battled bitter cold Tuesday in a race against time to find survivors under buildings flattened by an earthquake that killed more than 7,800 people.

Tremors that inflicted more suffering on a border area, already plagued by conflict, left people on the streets burning debris to try to stay warm as international aid began to arrive.

February 7, 2023 – 05:50PM

Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble, following an earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria February 6, 2023. REUTERS

LONDON — The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday is likely to be one of the deadliest this decade, seismologists said, with a more than 100 km (62 miles) rupture between the Anatolian and Arabian plates.

Here is what scientists said happened beneath the earth’s surface and what to expect in the aftermath:…

South Korea to provide $5 million aid, dispatch rescue workers to Turkey

February 7, 2023 – 05:30PM

A rescue team works on a collapsed building, following an earthquake in Osmaniye, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS

SEOUL — The South Korean government on Tuesday decided to provide $5 million in emergency humanitarian aid, dispatch rescue personnel and provide emergency medical supplies to support Turkey, which is suffering from massive casualties after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Monday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol also sent a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressing his special condolences and promising that “all possible assistance” would be provided for speedy recovery.

“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the people who lost their loved ones in the earthquake,” Yoon said at the Cabinet meeting in the morning, with deaths estimated at nearly 4,000 people near the Turkish-Syrian border.

Earthquake death toll in Turkey and Syria surpasses 5,000

February 7, 2023 – 05:22PM

People look amid rubble as the search for survivors continues following an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

ISTANBUL — Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday that the death toll from the earthquakes centered in southeastern Turkey rose to 3,419, bringing the total including those killed in Syria to more than 5,000.

Speaking to reporters, Oktay said severe weather conditions made it difficult to bring aid to the affected regions and conduct rescues. He said only rescue and aid vehicles were being allowed to enter or leave Hatay, Kahramanmaras and Adiyaman, three of the most impacted provinces.

Turkey detains four over quake social media posts

February 7, 2023 – 04:38PM

A rescue team works on a collapsed building, following an earthquake in Antakya, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS

ISTANBUL — Turkish police on Tuesday said they had detained four people over “provocative” social media posts following a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Turkey.

The quake struck the region early on Monday, killing more than 4,800 people in Turkey and Syria, injuring thousands and leaving many more without shelter in the bitter cold.

The four individuals were detained after officers found accounts that shared “provocative posts aiming to create fear and panic”, the police said.

Syrian opposition rescuers say hundreds of families still under quake rubble

FEbruary 7, 2023 – 03:31PM

A view shows a damaged facade of a building, in the aftermath of the earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria February 7, 2023. REUTERS

AMMAN — Time is running out to save hundreds of families still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings after this week’s devastating earthquake, the head of the Syrian opposition-run civil defense service said on Tuesday.

Raed al-Saleh told Reuters urgent help was needed from international groups for the rescue effort by the organization known as the White Helmets in rebel-held northwest Syria, where hundreds were killed and injured.

“Every second means saving lives and we call on all humanitarian organizations to give material aid and respond to this catastrophe urgently,” he said.

Turkey, Syria earthquake: Death toll rises to more than 4,800

February 7, 2023 – 11:31 AM

Rescuers in Turkey and Syria dug with their bare hands through the freezing night Tuesday hunting for survivors among the rubble of thousands of buildings felled in a series of violent earthquakes.

The confirmed death toll across the two countries has soared above 4,300 after a swarm of strong tremors near the Turkey-Syria border — the largest of which measured at a massive 7.8-magnitude.

February 7, 2023 – 11:17 AM

Prisoners mutinied in a northwestern Syria prison Monday following a deadly earthquake, with at least 20 escaping the jail holding mostly Islamic State group members, a source at the facility told AFP.

The military police prison in the town of Rajo near the Turkish border holds about 2,000 inmates, with about 1,300 of them suspected to be IS fighters, said the source.

February 7, 2023 – 10:13 AM

Cennet Sucu is rescued under the rubble of collapsed hospital in Iskenderun, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS

The screams of people still trapped in the rubble filled the night early on Tuesday and relatives wept for their loved ones as the death toll in Turkey and in neighboring northwest Syria rose to more than 3,700.

The magnitude 7.8 quake rippled through both countries early on Monday, toppling entire apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals, and leaving thousands more people injured or homeless.

February 7, 2023 – 06:30 AM

A rescue team works on a collapsed building, following an earthquake in Osmaniye, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS

A huge earthquake killed more than 3,700 people across a swathe of Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, with freezing winter weather adding to the plight of the thousands left injured or homeless and hampering efforts to find survivors.

The magnitude 7.8 quake brought down whole apartment blocks in Turkish cities and piled more devastation on millions of Syrians displaced by years of war.

February 6, 2023 – 08:34 PM

People gather as rescuers search for survivors under the rubble, following an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 6, 2023. REUTERS

Wailing children, flattened buildings and hospitals full of bodies – a devastating earthquake on Monday looked painfully familiar for Syrian families and rescuers worn down by nearly 12 years of bombardment and displacement.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake sent people rushing into the streets in the country’s north, where air strikes and shelling have already traumatized the population and weakened the foundations of many buildings.

February 6, 2023 – 08:29 PM

Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS

More than 10 search and rescue teams from the EU have been mobilized in the wake of the major earthquake that has hit Turkey, a spokesperson for the European Commission told reporters on Monday.

“Urban Search and Rescue teams have been quickly mobilized from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania to support the first responders on the ground,” the European Commission said in a statement.

February 6, 2023 – 08:16 PM

People search through rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023 in this still image taken from video. REUTERS/via Reuters TV

More than 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured on Monday when a huge earthquake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria, pulverizing apartment blocks and heaping more destruction on Syrian cities already devastated by years of war.

The magnitude 7.8 quake, which hit in the early darkness of a winter morning, was the worst to strike Turkey this century. It was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon. It was followed in the early afternoon by another large quake, magnitude 7.7.

February 6, 2023 – 03:51 PM

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing and injuring hundreds of people and leveling buildings. Authorities are now focused on search and rescue hoping to find more survivors.

February 6, 2023 – 12:33 PM

A man walks past by a collapsed building after an earthquake in Malatya, Turkey February 6, 2023. Depo Photos via REUTERS

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 killed more than 50 people in southern Turkey on Monday and was felt in Cyprus, Lebanon and Syria, collapsing dozens of buildings and triggering a search for survivors under the rubble in snowy streets.

Turkish authorities scrambled rescue teams and supply aircraft to the region around the city of Kahramanmaras, while declaring a “level 4 alarm” that calls for international assistance.