Amid the cold and devastation, rescue teams in Turkey and northern Syria continued their work on Tuesday (7) waiting for international help after the series of earthquakes that killed nearly 4,900 people.
The number of victims rose to 3,381 in Turkey and 15,834 were injured, according to the latest official balance sheet by the Authority for the Management of Emergencies and Disasters (AFAD). In Syria, the earthquake caused 1,509 deaths and 3,548 injuries, according to the latest data from the government and aid workers in rebel areas.
Sometimes, with their bare hands, rescue teams continued the dramatic search for survivors into the night, braving the cold, rain or snow and the risk of further landslides.
In Hatay, in southern Turkey, teams managed to rescue a 7-year-old girl trapped under a mountain of rubble alive. “Where’s my mother?” she said in the arms of a lifeguard, wearing dust-stained pink pajamas.
Bad weather conditions in the Anatolian region complicate rescue efforts and hamper the prospects of survivors, who keep warm in tents or at makeshift fires.
Relief workers in Turkey and Syria reported more than 5,600 buildings collapsed, including several residential buildings where most occupants were sleeping at the time of the main quake.
International aid to Turkey is due to start arriving on Tuesday (7) with the first rescue teams from places like France or Qatar. The French team must travel mainly to Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of the earthquake, a region that is difficult to access and buried by snow.
US President Joe Biden promised Recep Erdogan “all necessary help, whatever it may be”.
Two American detachments with 79 first responders each were preparing to go to the scene on Monday, the White House said. China has announced aid shipments of US$6.9 million, which will include specialized urban relief teams, medical equipment and emergency supplies, according to state media in Beijing.
On the other hand, the appeal launched by the Syrian government has already received a response from its Russian ally, who promised relief teams “in the next few hours”, in addition to 300 Russian soldiers who are already on the spot to help with the rescues.
The UN also reacted, but insisted that aid must reach “all Syrians throughout the territory”, also in the part that is not under government control.
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the clashes, about twenty fighters allegedly from the Islamic State (IS) group escaped from a military prison in Rajo, controlled by pro-Turkish rebels.