More than 4,300 people have been killed and at least 19,000 injured so far after a series of devastating earthquakes have struck southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border, leaving thousands of buildings flat as people continue to search for survivors in medium low temperatures.
In Turkey, the death toll rose to 2,921 and the number of injuries to 15,834, as reported this morning by the national emergency agency (Afad), while in Syria there are at least 1,300 deaths and 3,400 injuries.
Some 7,800 people were rescued in Turkey from the rubble of the thousands of buildings that collapsed in the two strong tremors, one of magnitude 7.7 and the other later of 7.6, the government reported, according to the official Anadolu agency.
Some 25,000 people, including soldiers, are taking part in the rescue efforts, according to Orhan Tatar, a senior official at the national emergency agency, Afad, who said 12.1 million euros (13.3 million dollars) in urgent funds for the ten most affected provinces.
In addition, dozens of countries began sending hundreds of rescuers and experts to search for survivors.
The vice presidency indicated that more than 300,000 victims of the earthquakes were housed in university centers, shelters and student residences.
The low temperatures and the snow in the area, where there are also mountainous territories that are difficult to access, complicate the rescue tasks.
Local authorities reported cuts in gas and electricity supplies in some areas, and the state oil company cut oil supplies to the region as a “precautionary measure.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recalled today that, in these opposition areas, “strongly” affected by the earthquake, there are 4.1 million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, and who are mostly women and children.
That body explained that communication with the land is difficult due to “chronic” interruptions in telephone and internet services, to which is added information about alleged roadblocks in northwestern Syria, as well as in Turkish territory.
Clearing work continues
The Syrian Foreign Ministry called on the UN, NGOs and government organizations to “support” the government’s efforts to deal with the “humanitarian catastrophe”, according to a statement carried by the official news agency, SANA.
Thirteen European Union (EU) countries offered search and rescue teams on Monday, the European Commission reported, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a total of 45 nations offered help.
In several of the 10 hardest-hit Turkish provinces, gas and electricity cuts occurred, with some reservoirs cracking, although authorities say there is no structural damage.
The first major earthquake was recorded at 4:17 a.m. (01:17 GMT) and had a magnitude of 7.7, according to the Turkish emergency service Afad, with its epicenter in Pazarcik in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras.
Subsequently, up to 145 more tremors occurred, one of them measuring 7.6 at 10:24 GMT. “Because the removal of rubble continues in many buildings in the earthquake zone, we do not know how high the number of deaths and injuries will be,” Erdogan said this morning. The president declared seven days of national mourning throughout the country.
In Kahramanmaras province, an 18-year-old woman was found alive 12 hours after the tremor, and in Diyarbaki, a man was rescued after being trapped for 14 hours, reports Anadolu Agency.
The quake was also strongly felt in Lebanon, including Beirut.
One of the symbols of the enormous destruction of the quake is the historic Roman castle of Gaziantep, which had stood for more than 1,700 years and was leveled by the tremor.
The historic citadel of Aleppo in Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also suffered damage.
The Turkish authorities announced the closure of schools in the ten most affected provinces and all sports competitions were also suspended.