Turkey-Syria Earthquake: Death Toll Crosses 4,300 With Numbers Expected To Rise, 15,000 Injured

The death toll in Turkey and in neighbouring northwest Syria following a major earthquake rose to more than 4,300, Associated Press reported. 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.

At least 2,921 have been confirmed dead in Turkey, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said, and 1,444 in Syria, according to figures from the Damascus Government and rescue workers. Around 15,000 have been injured so far, as per AFAD.

AP

What we know so far

Here's what we know so far:

Difficult conditions and freezing temperatures hampered rescue efforts overnight in the disaster-hit regions. As the scale of the devastation from the powerful magnitude tremor continued to unfold, the World Health Organization warned the number of casualties could exceed 20,000.

The first quake struck as people slept, and measured magnitude 7.8, one of the most powerful quakes in the region in at least a century. It was felt as far away as Cyprus and Cairo.

Reuters

The early-morning quake and aftershocks, including a second 7.5 magnitude tremor and a third and a fourth quake in a gap of some hours, wiped out entire cities in Turkey and heaped more destruction on Syrian communities already devastated by over a decade of war.

The earthquake, which was followed by a series of aftershocks, was the biggest recorded worldwide by the US Geological Survey since a tremor in the remote South Atlantic in August 2021.

In 1999, when a tremor of similar magnitude hit the heavily populated eastern Marmara Sea region near Istanbul, it killed more than 17,000.

AP

Rescue work & aid

International rescue missions rushed to both countries and worked through the night to find survivors on Tuesday.

More than 10 search and rescue teams from the European Union have been mobilised to help with the recovery, a spokesperson for the European Commission said. The US, UK, Canada, Israel, Russia and China are among other nations to have offered assistance and calls have emerged for the international community to relax some of the political restrictions on aid entering north-west Syria, the country¡¯s last rebel-held enclave and one of the areas worst hit by the earthquake.

AP

India has dispatched first consignment of earthquake relief material to Turkey.

In announcing the plan Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described Turkey as a ¡°brother nation¡± that sent troops to fight alongside South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. Turkey lost more than 700 of its forces in action.

New Zealand is providing $632,000 to the Turkish Red Crescent and $316,000 to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver items such as food, tents and blankets, as well as provide medical assistance and psychological support.

Britain is sending 76 search-and-rescue specialists with equipment and dogs, as well as an emergency medical team, to Turkey. The UK also says it¡¯s in contact with the UN about getting support to victims in Syria.

Reuters

Russian rescue teams from the Emergencies Ministry are preparing to fly to Syria, where Russian military deployed in that country already has sent 10 units comprising 300 people to help clear debris and search for survivors. The Russian military has set up points to distribute humanitarian assistance. Russia also has offered help to Turkey, which has been accepted.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has called for increased funding for humanitarian aid in Syria, saying that many people in the north-west of the country have already been displaced up to 20 times, and that medical care in the region was ¡°strained beyond capacity, even before this tragedy¡±.

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Why was it so devastating?

The earthquake was powerful ¡ª especially for a quake that hit on land. Typically, very strong earthquakes occur underwater, Margarita Segou, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey, said. On top of that, the quake hit near heavily populated areas. The epicenter was near Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital in Turkey. The affected regions were also home to vulnerable buildings, experts have said.

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