Three days after the terrible earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the death toll has now risen to more than 15,000. And the chances of finding survivors under the rubble are decreasing by the hour.
According to a new balance sheet published by authorities and rescue workers on Thursday night, 12,391 people died in Turkey. In Syria, the death toll rose to 2,992. This means that a total of 15,383 deaths have already been reported.
Many people are still missing under the rubble in both countries. According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 23 million people could be affected by the aftermath of the earthquake.
According to the TRT World broadcaster, around 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble in Turkey so far.
A reporter from the TV channel reported on the desperate fight against time: “The rescuers refuse to give up.” But the moments of joy about another rescue were becoming increasingly rare. The critical survival limit is usually around 72 hours, which is around three days.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7 to 7.8, shook the Turkish-Syrian border area early Monday morning. Another earthquake of magnitude 7.5 followed in the same region on Monday afternoon. Thousands of buildings collapsed.
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Pictures from the disaster areas also showed excavators removing debris on Thursday night. Relatives of those who were buried waited for the news of relief at temperatures around freezing.
In northern Syria in particular, the extent of the disaster is difficult to grasp. Aid is progressing slowly – not least because of the political situation in the civil war country. In Turkey, on the other hand, the search and rescue work started much faster. According to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, around 104,000 helpers are deployed.
Bundeswehr sends relief supplies
More help is also on its way to the stricken regions from abroad. The Bundeswehr wants to fly around 50 tons of relief supplies to the disaster area on Thursday. A spokesman for the Air Force told the German Press Agency on Wednesday that the goods would be sent to the area with three Airbus A400M transport aircraft from the military airport in Wunstorf, Lower Saxony. The departure was scheduled for the morning. Teams from various aid organizations had previously flown to Turkey.
Erdogan admits deficits
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has acknowledged deficits in his government’s crisis management. During a visit to two regions particularly affected by the disaster, Erdogan said on Wednesday: “Of course there are deficits. You can see the conditions very clearly.” It is not possible “to be prepared for such an earthquake,” he added.
Source: Asia Times
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