Death, debris in Turkey, Syria quake as rescue efforts cross crucial 72-hour mark

Rescuers are searching for survivors buried in the rubble of the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria as rescue efforts near the crucial 72-hour mark.

Over 15,000 people have been killed in the massive earthquake that flattened thousands of buildings, trapping an unknown number of people in freezing weather.

The toll is expected to rise as the rescue efforts cross the crucial 72-hour mark. More than 90 per cent of earthquake survivors have been rescued within the first three days, a disaster expert was quoted as saying by AFP.

The number can vary significantly depending on the weather, aftershocks and how quickly rescue teams and equipment can arrive at the scene — all factors which are currently going against efforts in Turkey and Syria.

Here are latest developments.
12,391 people have died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria from Monday’s earthquake. The toll is mounting and so is criticism against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan on Wednesday visited one of the hardest-hit spots, quake epicentre Kahramanmaras, and acknowledged problems in the response.

“Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It’s not possible to be ready for a disaster like this,” he said.

The first 72 hours are crucial for rescue operations because people crushed under collapsed buildings need medical attention before “their bodies fail” or they bleed out. Many are also likely to develop hypothermia due to freezing temperatures in Turkey.

“Those who do manage to survive the cold and their injuries still need food and water. Without water, many people will start dying at the three, four, five day mark,” a disaster expert was quoted as saying by AFP.

A Syrian man, who survived the earthquake, is searching in rubble for 30 missing relatives. He, his wife and his children managed to get out of their home in Idlib city alive. So far, he has managed to retrieve 10 bodies, helped by residents and rescuers in Besnaya, a village hard-hit by the disaster.

The White Helmets, leading efforts to rescue people buried under rubble in opposition-held areas of Syria, have appealed for international help in their “race against time.”

Syria has, for the first time, asked for assistance from the European Union. The EU has said it would provide additional emergency support to both countries and emergency humanitarian assistance worth 6.5 million euros in one of the largest ever search and rescue operations through its Civil Protection Mechanism.

One Indian is missing in quake-hit Turkey and 10 others are stuck in remote areas. As many as 3,000 Indian nationals live in Turkey and the Ministry of External Affairs has received calls from 75 people seeking assistance. Under Operation Dost, India has sent relief materials, search and rescue teams, a field hospital, medicines and equipment to Turkey and Syria.

The pre-dawn jolt on Monday killed thousands of people in their sleep and left many trapped under slabs of concrete in the freezing cold in Turkey and Syria. Others died in aftershocks that have been rolling across Turkey and parts of neighbouring Syria day and night.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. The Monday quake was one of the most powerful to hit the region in at least a century.

The quake, felt as far away as Egypt’s Cairo, was centered north of the city of Gaziantep in Turkey in an area about 90 kilometers from the Syrian border.