Bangladesh sends aid to Syria
Bangladesh has sent humanitarian aid and medicines for the earthquake victims in Syria, the government has said.
An air force cargo plane carrying tents, blankets, warm cloths, dried foods and medicine weighing about 11 tons left Dhaka for Damascus on Friday night, disaster management and relief ministry official Selim Hossain said.
A 17-member rescue team from the Bangladesh Air Force was also sent to north-western Syria, according to a foreign ministry statement.
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Muslims around the world offered absentee funeral prayers for the victims of a major earthquake in Turkey and Syria.#TurkeySyriaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/GLvOVACA17
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 11, 2023
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UN food agency appeals for help to get quake victims hot meals
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for $77m to provide food rations and hot meals to a total of 874,000 people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Those in dire need of hot food in the region’s bitterly cold winter conditions include 284,000 newly displaced people in Syria and 590,000 people in Turkey, including 45,000 refugees and 545,000 internally displaced people.
“For the thousands of people affected by the earthquakes, food is one of the top needs right now and our priority is to get it to the people who need it fast,” WFP Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Corinne Fleischer said in a statement.
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Criminal complaints against contractors filed, arrests made
Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu reporting from the capital Ankara said some lawyers have filed criminal complaints against contractors and inspection companies and others who maybe responsible for the collapsed buildings.
“Yesterday in Osmaniye city in Osmaniye province, one of the 10 cities that was harshly affected, four people were arrested,” Koseoglu added.
“Also yesterday at Istanbul airport the police arrested two men … who were responsbile for construction of a compound in Hatay. It had 250 flats and all the blocks in that compound were totally leveled.”
“Those two men were captured by the police while they were trying to leave the country with a decent amount of money … probably because they were trying to escape because they were afraid of what was going to happen,” Koseoglu said.
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Indonesian search and rescue teams join international efforts in Turkey
Search and rescue teams from Indonesia have departed for Turkey to assist with the international aid effort following this week’s deadly earthquakes.
Two military aircraft with more than 50 staff and 24 tonnes of aid were dispatched from the Halim Perdanakusuma air force base in Jakarta on Saturday.
“Our task in this first batch is attached to the SAR (search and rescue) team or the response agency in Turkey, this team will get SAR assignments around the Hatay area to search for victims in collapsed buildings,” Bambang Suryaputra, an official with Indonesia’s National Board for Disaster Management, said before departure.
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More than 60 people rescued in 24 hours Turkish vice president says
Sixty-seven people had been clawed from the rubble in the previous 24 hours, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay told reporters, in efforts that drew in 31,000 rescuers across the affected region.
About 80,000 people were being treated in hospital, while 1.05 million left homeless by the quakes huddled in temporary shelters, he added.
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh pray for the #earthquake victims in #Turkey and #Syria . pic.twitter.com/Dc9TF9TaOE
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 11, 2023
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Sporting world steps up to help in Turkey-Syria earthquake relief
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the European football body UEFA are among the sporting federations providing financial aid for those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
The IOC created an emergency fund and will donate $1m to help those affected by the disaster in Turkey and Syria, the IOC said on Friday.
UEFA and its Foundation for Children will donate an initial 200,000 euros ($214,000) to support the humanitarian operation in Turkey and Syria.
The UK’s Premier League said it will be donating one million pounds ($1.2m) in response to the tragedies and that players and officials will wear black armbands for this weekend’s round of Premier League matches.
UEFA and our partner, the @UEFA_Foundation, have made an initial donation of €200,000 to support the vast humanitarian operation assisting victims of last Monday’s two devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
Full story: ⬇️
— UEFA (@UEFA) February 10, 2023
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The arrival of the 6th Saudi relief plane to support earthquake victims in #Syria and #Turkey pic.twitter.com/a63dnkqhjZ
— KSrelief (@KSRelief_EN) February 11, 2023
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Two women rescued after 122 hours
Rescuers in Turkey pulled two women alive from the rubble of collapsed buildings after they were been trapped for 122 hours following the region’s deadliest quake in two decades, authorities have said.
One of the rescued women, Menekse Tabak, 70, was swaddled in a blanket while rescuers carried her to a waiting ambulance in the province of Kahramanmaras, images from state news agency Anadolu showed.
The other was an injured 55-year-old, identified as Masallah Cicek, who was extricated from the debris of a collapsed building in Diyarbakir, the largest city in southeast Turkey, the agency said.
Death toll in northwest Syria climbs to more than 2,166
At least 2,166 people were killed in opposition-held northwest Syria by the major earthquake, Syrian White Helmets have said.
The toll in the government-held areas also has risen to 1,387 deaths and 2,326 injured, the state media reported on Thursday citing Syria’s health ministry.
This brings the total death toll in Syria to 3,553.
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Arsenal mobilises Muslims in the UK to aid Kahramanmaras quake victims
The London-based English Premier League club, Arsenal, has taken the initiative to reach out to the UK’s Muslim community to help those affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkiye and Syria earlier this week, leaving behind a trail of destruction, local media reports. Read more here
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Ongoing Saudi donations exceed $51 mln for quake victims in Türkiye, Syria
Up to 5.3 million people in Syria may have been made homeless by the devastating earthquake which rocked the region this week, a United Nations official has said. Read more here
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Up to 5.3 million in Syria may be homeless after quake: UN
Up to 5.3 million people in Syria may have been made homeless by the devastating earthquake which rocked the region this week, a United Nations official has said. Read more here
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White Helmets slam UN quake response in rebel areas of Syria
The White Helmets rescue group has accused the United Nations of botching its response in rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria to this week’s devastating quake.
Leveraging years of experience gleaned during Syria’s more than decade-long war, the White Helmets have been spearheading rescue efforts in rebel areas with virtually no outside help.
“The UN has committed a crime against the Syrian people in the northwest,” the group’s chief Raed Saleh said, noting that UN agencies had not delivered any quake-specific relief to survivors since the disaster hit before dawn on Monday.
“The UN must apologise to the Syrian people.”
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A Spanish rescue team saves a mother and her two kids from the rubble in Gaziantep, Turkey
A Spanish rescue team saves a mother and her two kids from the rubble in Gaziantep, Turkey#turkeyearthquake2023 #Syria_earthquake #Gaziantep pic.twitter.com/FPoW7N8S6N
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 10, 2023
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PKK halts ‘military actions’ after quakes
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey has designated as a “terrorist” group, has announced a temporary halt in fighting to ease recovery work in the wake of the massive earthquakes that struck southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria.
“Thousands of our people are under the rubble,” the group’s co-leader Cemil Bayik told the PKK-linked ANF news agency, urging that the focus should be on recovery work rather than waging war.
“We call on all our forces engaged in military actions: Stop the military actions in Turkey, in metropolises and cities,” he said.
Bayik said the pause in fighting would stay in place “until the pain of our people is relieved and their wounds are healed”.
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Drone footage shows large faultline in southern Turkey following earthquakes
Drone footage taken from the Kahramanmaraş province, at the epicentre of Monday’s earthquake, has left a large fault line visible from the air running through the southern Turkish countryside. The clip video shows a large fracture in the ground running for miles.
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Israeli quake teams should work through Sabbath, chief rabbi says
Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi, David Lau, has ruled that emergency teams deployed to Turkey to help in the earthquake response should work through the Jewish Sabbath to save lives.
“So long as there is any hope of saving lives and finding survivors, operations should continue,” Lau said in a public letter to the rescue teams.
“The treatment being given to the wounded should not be interrupted,” he said.
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Premier League donates one million pounds to earthquake fund
The English Premier League has said it will be donating one million pounds in response to the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
“The Premier League is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which have killed thousands of people,” a statement from England’s top football league read.
“The League will make a £1 million [$1.2m] donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal to deliver humanitarian aid directly to those in need.”
European football governing body UEFA and its UEFA Foundation for Children is donating an initial 200,000 euros [$214,000] to support the humanitarian operation in Turkey and Syria.
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UN urges ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Syria to allow quake aid
The UN rights chief has called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria to help get aid to earthquake survivors.
“UN human rights chief Volker Turk calls for immediate ceasefire in Syria, and full respect for human rights and humanitarian law obligations so help can reach everyone,” the UN rights office said in a tweet.
At this terrible time in #Türkiye & #Syria, we call for urgent delivery of assistance to ALL in need. UN Human Rights Chief @volker_turk calls for immediate ceasefire in Syria, and full respect of #humanrights & humanitarian law obligations so help can reach everyone. pic.twitter.com/l9MJEQixYg
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) February 10, 2023
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Podcast: Quake puts Syria in the spotlight
Emergency aid is pouring into southeastern Turkey after Monday’s earthquakes, but why is it so much harder for aid to reach northern Syria?
Both sides of the border have been devastated by the disaster, which struck after years of conflict and displacement. With the death toll rising every day, will Syrians get the international spotlight they need?
Listen To The Take’s latest episode below:
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Syrian government approves aid delivery across front lines: State media
The Syrian government has approved humanitarian aid deliveries across the front lines of the country’s 12-year war, state media say, adding aid would arrive with the help of the UN, Syrian Red Crescent and international Red Cross.
“The Council of Ministers approves … the delivery of humanitarian aid to all parts of the Syrian Arab Republic,” a cabinet statement said.
State media reported that the government has also declared the areas worst affected by Monday’s deadly earthquakes – Latakia, Hama, Aleppo and Idlib – as disaster zones and would set up a fund for reconstruction.
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Whales wash up in Cyprus; possible earthquake link investigated
Whales have washed up dead on the northern shores of Cyprus after possibly being affected by the massive earthquakes in Turkey and Syria this week, authorities say.
Six beaked whales were found dead on Friday while a pod of four were found beached on Thursday, the Cyprus Department of Fisheries and Marine Research said.
Three of the four from Thursday were guided back to sea while the fourth died, it said in a statement.
It was unclear if the dead pod found on Friday included those whales that had been returned to the sea on Thursday, it said.
“These animals have an echolocation system, which is affected by sea noise,” Yiannis Ioannou of the marine research department told Sigma TV. “It could be military exercises, seismic drills or, naturally, the earthquake in the region.”
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14 UN aid trucks cross into northwestern Syria
14 UN aid trucks cross into northwestern Syria
The trucks entered the Idlib region through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing via the Cilvegozu border gate in Türkiye’s southern Hatay province. pic.twitter.com/ZkOX5XeIzj
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 10, 2023
Fourteen truckloads of UN humanitarian aid crossed into northwestern Syria on Friday through Türkiye after the region was hit by deadly earthquakes on Monday.
The trucks entered the Idlib region through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing via the Cilvegozu border gate in Türkiye’s southern Hatay province, according to an Anadolu correspondent in the field.
Sent as part of the UN’s cross-border aid efforts, the aid will be delivered to people in need in the region, Anadolu confirmed.
Six earlier trucks had on Thursday arrived in Idlib, which felt the powerful earthquakes centered in southern Türkiye.
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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said 14 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed into northern Syria from Türkiye.
“These convoys are carrying electric heaters, tents, blankets and other items to assist these people who have been displaced as a result of this catastrophic earthquake,” said spokesperson Paul Dillon, adding that the aid was bound for Idlib.
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Erdogan says earthquake response not as fast as government wanted
LIVE: Turkish President Erdogan speaks in Malatya during a visit to assess damage with officials and meet with victims of #TurkiyeQuakes https://t.co/fCgEIcRS5L
— PresserWatch (@PresserWatch) February 10, 2023
Turkish authorities’ response to the massive earthquakes in the country’s southeast is not as fast as the government wanted, President Tayyip Erdogan has said.
Speaking in Adiyaman province, which was also hit by the earthquakes, Erdogan said some people were robbing markets and attacking businesses, adding that a state of emergency declared in the area will allow the state to impose the necessary penalties.
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Türkiye’s through-wall radar saving lives
A radar system developed by the Turkish state-run defence company STM is saving lives in the earthquake-ravaged areas of Türkiye.
The through-the-wall DAR radar system can locate people through mounds of debris.
STM lead technician Yusuf Hayirli told Anadolu the DAR radar system designed for the defence industry was used out of its field for the first time in an earthquake zone.
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Why is earthquake aid to Syria so slow?
The earthquakes in southern Turkey and northern Syria have left millions of people in desperate need of help. But getting aid to people in Syria is particularly complicated. #AJStartHere explains why.
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The Saudi search and rescue team participates in the relief efforts of earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria
The #Saudi search and rescue team participates in the relief efforts of earthquake victims in #Turkey and #Syria.#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/H4gxJNt7xq
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) February 10, 2023
The participating teams include the Saudi Search and Rescue Team from the General Directorate of Civil Defense, a medical team from the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, and volunteer field teams from all disciplines.#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/hSBYUWtvwU
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) February 10, 2023
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WFP says running out stock in northwest Syria, calls for more crossings
The World Food Programme (WFP) has said it is running out of stock in opposition-held northwest Syria and appealed for more corridors between Syria and Turkey to be opened.
“We have reached the people there, but we need to replenish our stocks,” Corinne Fleischer, WFP Regional Director in the Middle East, Northern Africa and Eastern Europe, told reporters. “We are running out of stocks and we need access to bring new stocks in. The border crossing is open now, but we need to get new border crossings open.”
Currently, the UN only has one approved crossing between the two countries – Bab al-Hawa. The UN said on Thursday its first convoy had crossed into Syria on Thursday, after being delayed by damage.
Turkish government has said it has authorised aid to go through two additional crossings, but UN officials have said Bab al-Hawa remained the only viable route.
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60-year-old man rescued from rubble 104 hours after quakes
Sixty-year-old Eyup Ak was pulled out alive from the rubble of a collapsed building, in another miraculous rescue in southern Türkiye over four days since powerful earthquakes shook the region.
Saved in Adiyaman province, Ak was carried on a stretcher to receive medical attention following his rescue 104 hours after the first of the two earthquakes.
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A 4-year-old baby girl was rescued from under the debris 86 hours after the devastating earthquakes hit Türkiye#TurkeySyriaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/qL3egI1lFC
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 10, 2023
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Australia dispatches 72 search, rescue specialists to Türkiye
Australia has dispatched 72 search and rescue specialists to the areas affected by two massive earthquakes in southern Türkiye.
“Australian search and rescue teams are now en route to Türkiye following the devastating earthquakes. The 72 search and rescue specialists will deliver supplies and assist crews on the ground. We thank them for their service and our hearts go with them on their deployment,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong tweeted.
She expressed gratitude to the National Emergency Management Agency, Fire and Rescue NSW (New South Wales), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Ambassador to Ankara Miles Armitage, and the defence forces for their assistance in coordinating this massive effort during these challenging times.
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New Zealand pledges another $1.9M in humanitarian aid for Türkiye, Syria
New Zealand announced an additional NZ$3 million (approximately $1.89 million) in humanitarian assistance to support relief efforts in Türkiye and Syria.
Acting Foreign Minister David Parker said in a statement that the latest announcement brings New Zealand’s total humanitarian funding for the earthquake response to nearly $2.84 million.
“It is clear the earthquakes have been devastating for the people of Türkiye and Syria. New Zealand’s thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected,” Parker stated.
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US waives sanctions for humanitarian aid to Syria
The US eased sanctions on Syria to allow the flow of humanitarian assistance following the deadly earthquakes that hit southern Türkiye which affected people on both sides of the border.
The US Treasury Department issued a license that authorises for 180 days all transactions related to earthquake relief that would be otherwise prohibited by the Syrian sanctions regulations.
” As international allies and humanitarian partners mobilize to help those affected, I want to make very clear that U.S. sanctions in Syria will not stand in the way of life-saving efforts for the Syrian people,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
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Rescuers extract a dog named Pamuk from the rubbles of a collapsed building in Hatay on February 9, 2023, three days after a massive earthquake. Photo: AFP
More money needed as people face ‘nightmare on nightmare’: Guterres
UN chief Antonio Guterres is calling on the international community to provide more money for Turkey and Syria and widen access for aid to reach the earthquake-stricken parts of Syria.
Guterres was speaking hours after the first UN aid convoy crossed into Syria from Turkey.
“More help is on the way, but much more – much more – is needed,” the secretary general said.
He said the UN would launch an international appeal next week for funding for the effort.
“People are facing nightmare on top of nightmare,” Guterres added.
People living in northwest Syria had already endured 12 years of civil war when the earthquake struck, with humanitarian aid delivered through only a single crossing from Turkey amid opposition from Russia, the main ally of the Syrian government, which wants aid to come through Damascus.
Syria is under international sanctions but Guterres stressed they did not affect humanitarian assistance.
“No sanctions of any kind interfere with relief to the population of Syria in the present,” he said.
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‘Frantic’ rescue operations continue in Kahramanmaras
Reporting from in front of a collapsed block of buildings in Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar says rescue teams have become “frantic” as hope for finding survivors dimmed with each passing hour.
The teams were “digging into the rubble and hoping to find some people dead or alive because now it has been more than 96 hours and the hopes here are fading”, he said from the town close to the epicentre of the first magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Monday.
“The families are here, waiting anxiously,” he added. “The scale of devastation is beyond the imagination. This is just one of the scenes across this city.”
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More bad news predicted for Turkey’s economy
Turkey is set to release industrial production figures for December, with a Reuters poll showing the sector had likely contracted by 1.3 percent compared with the same period last year. Turkey is also set to release unemployment figures for that month on Friday.
The country had already contended with sky-high inflation and stagnation in some industries following a post-pandemic boost.
Analysts are still determining the long-term economic fallout of Monday’s devastation, which is expected to result in a spike in public spending, but has also been met with an influx of aid, including $1.78bn in relief and recovery financing assistance from the World Bank.
Istanbul’s stock exchange has suspended trading until February 15.
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Indian Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik pay tribute to Türkiye -Syria quake victims
Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik paid tribute to the victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake through his exquisite art. #TurkeySyriaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/pf0dWZPjUA
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 10, 2023
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Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. We stands in solidarity with the people of Turkey and Syria. “Join hands for earthquake victims “ . My sand art at Puri beach in India.#TurkeyEarthquake #SyriaEarthquake #PrayForTurkey #PrayforSyria pic.twitter.com/tSaljbmrXI
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) February 9, 2023
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Syria’s Assad visits Aleppo hospital in first reported visit to quake-hit area
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has visited the Aleppo University Hospital, the presidency has said, his first reported trip to an earthquake-hit area.
The presidency shared images of Assad and his wife visiting people who were injured in the devastating earthquake which has killed thousands.
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Bodies of Turkish Cypriot students killed in quake flown home
The bodies of seven Turkish Cypriot students killed in the earthquakes in Turkey have been returned home, according to Turkish media, which reported 19 children in total from the group had died.
Two dozen children aged 11 to 14 from the island, along with 10 parents, four teachers and a volleyball coach, were in the southern Turkish city of Adiyaman when Monday’s earthquake hit.
The children had been taking part in a school volleyball tournament and had been staying in a hotel in Adiyaman that was destroyed by the quake.
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar welcomed the bodies accompanied by other government and military officials of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
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Family of six rescued in Turkey after 101 hours trapped
Rescue workers in Iskenderun in southern Turkey have pulled six people from a collapsed building after they spent 101 hours beneath the rubble.
The six people, all relatives, survived by huddling together in a small pocket left within the collapsed structure, Murat Baygul, a search and rescue worker, told the Associated Press news agency.
Rescuers have said freezing temperatures have diminished the likelihood of finding survivors trapped since Monday.
🔴 #CANLI | Kahramanmaraş merkezli 7.7 ve 7.6’lık iki #deprem sonrası Hatay’da enkaz altında kalan 15 yaşındaki Arda Oktay 102 saat sonra sağ olarak çıkarıldıhttps://t.co/sOnXuYFE8V
— Sabah (@sabah) February 10, 2023
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Aleppo homeless in urgent need of support: Aid worker
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Safir Salim of the Middle East Council of Churches says the situation is worsening for people made homeless in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
He said after the earthquake, more people had to leave their homes after they were deemed unsafe.
“The situation now has started to be worse than yesterday. The engineers come to check the buildings and discover hundreds of buildings cannot be saved,” he said.
“So they asked people to empty everything from the building quickly,” he said. “Now we are suffering for the future and what we will do now.”
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Baby rescued from rubble 68 hours after Turkey earthquake
Amid fading hopes of finding survivors amid the rubble, rescue workers pulled a baby alive from the debris in the Turkish city of Hatay, nearly 68 hours after the earthquakes that have devastated Turkey and Syria.
Rescuers say that the baby, named Helen, is in good health and under the supervision of medical units.
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US announces $85m in aid
The United States has announced an initial $85m package for emergency relief.
The US Agency for International Development said in a statement that the funding will go to partners on the ground “to deliver urgently needed aid for millions of people” including through food, shelter and emergency health services.
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WHO chief says he’s heading for Syria
World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that he is heading to Syria.
“On my way to #Syria, where @WHO is supporting essential health care in the areas affected by the recent earthquake, building on our long-standing work across the country,” the WHO chief tweeted.
On my way to #Syria, where @WHO is supporting essential health care in the areas affected by the recent earthquake, building on our long-standing work across the country. pic.twitter.com/VUA6xg0OZW
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 9, 2023
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One hundred people buried in town outside of Aleppo
Bader Khalif from the town of Jenderes in the southern countryside of Aleppo, Syria told Al Jazeera that civilians have been helping to bury the dead who were killed in the earthquake.
“From the morning until now, we have buried about 100 people, and there are still bodies under the rubble,” he said.
![[Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2E9A3455.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80&quality=80)
![[Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2E9A3546.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80&quality=80)
![[Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2E9A3441.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80&quality=80)
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Palestinians extend a helping hand to quake-hit Turkey and Syria
Seventy-three rescuers, led by the Palestinian International Cooperation Agency (PICA), packed softshell jackets displaying the logo of their organisation into red duffle bags on Thursday, before boarding a bus at the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ramallah. Read more here
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Ukrainian rescuers help save lives in Turkey
Ukrainian rescue experts, more used to emergencies in a war zone at home, have brought their skills to Turkey to search flattened buildings for survivors, erect tents and offer first aid.
“There is a war in our country, but we understand that we have to help, and this aid is mutual. There is no other way to do it,” said Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, a spokesman for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
Kyiv has sent 88 people to Turkey to help with the disaster. The team includes specialists in search and rescue operations, doctors, dog handlers and firefighters.
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Germany to increase Syria aid by $28m
Germany will increase the amount of humanitarian assistance it provides in Syria by 26 million euros ($28m) to respond to the growing needs of Syrians.
A statement from the German embassy in Beirut said the funds were needed “especially in the affected areas in the northwestern parts of the country”, home to many Syrians displaced during a 12-year war.
“Germany can build on close ties with international organizations and NGOs in northwestern Syria, as it has already been providing extensive humanitarian assistance there,” the statement said.
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Earthquakes can be described as ‘disaster of the century’: Erdogan
The earthquakes have caused great destruction in 10 provinces and “can be described as the disaster of the century,” Erdogan has said, while inspecting search and rescue efforts in the province of Osmaniye, where he met quake victims.
“Hundreds of thousands of people are taking part in relief efforts. All kinds of teams and vehicles from across the country have been dispatched to the region,” he said.
After visiting the earthquake victims at a hospital in Kilis, Erdogan said, “Last Monday, we were confronted with the worst earthquake this region has ever seen in its history.”
Turkish President Erdogan inspected the ongoing search and rescue efforts in the earthquake-hit Gaziantep.#TurkeyQuake #Erdogan pic.twitter.com/spi2OfoDxy
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 9, 2023
Turkish President Erdogan inspected the ongoing search and rescue efforts in the earthquake-hit Gaziantep.#TurkeyQuake #Erdogan pic.twitter.com/eB3fEnaZK4
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 9, 2023
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UK increases funding to support search and rescue efforts in Syria
The UK has said it is committing additional funding – at least three million pounds ($3.65m) – to support search and rescue operations and emergency relief in Syria following earthquakes in the region.
“Given the magnitude of the earthquakes and difficulties in accessing affected areas in North West Syria, the UK will be providing The White Helmets with additional funding to aid their major search-and-rescue operations,” the UK said in a statement.
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*“Do you want some water … No, I haven’t been examined yet”*
5-year-old Hazal rescued alive after 72 hours from earthquake rubbles in Hatay, Türkiye. Rescue personnel spoke with the little girl after the operation.#TurkeySyriaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/ztdPWrVJ9I
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 9, 2023
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A two-year-old boy named Mert was rescued alive from the rubble after 79 hours of the earthquake.#TurkeySyriaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/VEeS38eAvJ
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 9, 2023
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‘Impact area of earthquakes in Turkiye is twice total area of Lebanon’: Geologist
“The fault line that broke in Turkiye is nearly 350 kilometres (217.5 miles) long. It is a very long fault line covering a large area,” Tony Nemer, a geologist at Beirut American University in the Lebanese capital, told Anadolu. Read more here
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Too much Earthquake news ‘misleading’ says Turkish government
Another “earthquake” image was of a dog which got more than 1.5 million views on Twitter. However, analysis showed that it has been on the Internet since 2018, and it is part of a group of pictures taken by a Czech photographer. Read more here
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More than 17,000 people killed
More than 17,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria, following the latest update from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The president said 14,014 people have lost their lives in the country and at least 63,000 have been injured.
Government-held areas of Syria have reported 1,262 people dead, while 1,900 people have died in rebel-controlled northern areas.
In total, 17,176 people have been confirmed dead.
President Erdogan said at least 6,400 buildings were destroyed in Turkey.
The government aimed to build new three and four-storey buildings in disaster areas within one year, he said.
More than 28,000 people evacuated from Kahramanmaras, Turkey
More than 28,000 citizens have been evacuated from earthquake-affected Kahramanmaras, Turkey’s disaster agency said in its latest bulletin.
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In pictures: Eight-year old boy rescued after 80 hours
More than 80 hours since the deadly earthquakes struck, an eight-year-old boy has been rescued from under the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
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Almost 30,000 people evacuated as thousands more left homeless
More than 28,000 people have been evacuated from the earthquake zone in Turkey, where 13m people are believed to have been living.
At least 6,500 buildings were destroyed and countless damaged in the country.
In the middle of winter, thousands of people have been left homeless without water, food or heating.
Some survivors have camped in makeshift shelters or cars in the ruins, while others have made it to tent cities.
In a park in Antakya, people packed into 30 tents erected by the Turkish Red Crescent.
Similar shelters set up by Turkey’s disaster management authority, AFAD, can be seen filling a stadium in Kahramanmaras below.
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First UN aid since quake crosses into northwest Syria from Turkey
The first United Nations aid convoy since a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on Monday has crossed into northwest Syria from Turkey, the UN has confirmed.
Six trucks on Thursday reached Bab al-Hawa, the only border crossing authorised by the UN Security Council for aid delivery, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told Al Jazeera. Read more here
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In solidarity with the people of Turkey and Syria, Palestinians in Gaza Strip launch a blood-donation campaign to help those injured in the deadly earthquake.#TurkeyEarthquake #syriaearthquake pic.twitter.com/0M00vJTRgi
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 9, 2023
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The first group of the Saudi relief planes arrives in Adana Airport to support earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey#TurkeyQuake #syriaearthquake pic.twitter.com/6GJjU7ux2l
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 9, 2023
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Family of four rescued from under rubble 64 hours after strong earthquakes hit Türkiye’s southern Gaziantep province.
Family of four rescued from under rubble 64 hours after strong earthquakes hit Türkiye’s southern Gaziantep province.#TurkeySyriaEarthquake #Turkey pic.twitter.com/mEjcwlCOHs
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 9, 2023
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UN calls for urgent aid to Syria
The United Nation’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has said the country – already ravaged by more than a decade of civil war – urgently needs post-earthquake life-saving aid.
“Syrians need more of absolutely everything,” Pedersen told reporters in Geneva. “The earthquake struck as the humanitarian crisis in north-west Syria was already worsening, with needs at their highest levels since the conflict began.”
Aid was needed “urgently, through the fastest, most direct and most effective routes”, he said. “We have seen some aid, but nowhere near enough … Emergency aid must not be politicised. We must instead focus on what is needed.”
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At least 23 Pakistanis rescued from Gaziantep, Turkey
At least 23 Pakistanis have been evacuated from the university of Gaziantep in Turkey and accommodated in Adana, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said.
“Our missions in Turkey and Syria remain in constant touch with the relevant authorities and our community to identify any requirement for the earthquake affected areas and to provide relief to Pakistanis, who may be affected by the earthquake,” Baloch said.
The country has so far dispatched multiple rescue teams to affected regions in Turkey and Syria.
Medical team and NDMA road convoy will leave soon for Damascus. NDMA is also arranging additional USAR team for Syria. pic.twitter.com/A9LolnLvxW
— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) February 8, 2023
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Türkiye uses drone tech for communication in disaster areas
Türkiye has used for the first time its domestically made technology for drones to provide uninterrupted communication in disaster areas, the Turkish defence industry chief said.
“AKSUNGUR unmanned aerial vehicle both transmits snapshots and provides mobile phone communication service to our citizens in the region with carrying a base station on it,” Ismail Demir said in a statement.
Operasyon bölgelerinde kesintisiz iletişim için geliştirmekte olduğumuz teknoloji, ilk kez uygulamayı afet bölgesinde gerçekleştirdi.#AKSUNGUR İHA, hem anlık görüntü aktarıyor hem de üzerindeki baz istasyonuyla bölgedeki vatandaşlarımıza cep telefonu iletişim hizmeti sunuyor. pic.twitter.com/PCfaoUwMgf
— Ismail Demir (@IsmailDemirSSB) February 9, 2023
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Three men, including a father and son survive 75 hours under rubble before being rescued in Gaziantep pic.twitter.com/CHFgJVusuE
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) February 9, 2023
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Turkish Airlines resumes mass evacuation from quake-hit zones
Turkish Airlines (THY) Press Advisor Yahya Ustun announced that there will be 170 evacuation flights from the earthquake zone today.
In his statement on his social media account, Yahya Ustun shared the following information, stating that the evacuation flights, which started on February 8, will be completed with a total of 173 flights this morning:
“Our evacuation operation, which we started at 07:00 this morning, is being carried out as planned despite the winter conditions. As of 23.50, our 80 flights have been completed and we have delivered 14 thousand 68 citizens to Istanbul and Ankara. We have completed our remaining 93 flights until 07:00 on 9 February, and 16 flights are still waiting at the airports. We will also evacuate 1,500 of our citizens.”
Explaining the number of flights to be made from the disaster area today, Ustun said, “We will evacuate our citizens with 170 flights planned between 07:00 on February 9 and 07:00 on February 10.”
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In pictures: Mass burial under way in Jandaris, Aleppo
Images of mass graves for the victims of the deadly earthquakes are emerging from Jandaris, north of Aleppo in Syria.
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First aid convoy on its way to northwestern Syria: Report
Two sources told Reuters news agency that a first aid convoy is on its way towards the Turkish border to enter areas in opposition-controlled northwestern Syria.
The hope is for the convoy, which includes six trucks, to cross on Thursday, one of the sources said.
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Taiwan president, VP to donate their salaries for quake relief
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai will each donate a month’s salary for Turkish earthquake relief efforts, the presidential office says, adding to existing aid already sent by the island.
Tsai and Lai, who is widely expected to stand for the presidency in elections due next year, “hope to do their part to help Turkey rebuild its homeland as soon as possible”, the presidential office said in a statement.
Turkey, like most countries, has no diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but the two maintain de facto embassies in each other’s capitals and there are direct flights between Istanbul and Taipei.
Tsai visited the de facto Turkish embassy in Taipei to sign a book of condolence, writing: “My heart goes with our Turkish friends. Taiwan stands with Türkiye!”
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Twitter access in Turkey restored: Watchdog
Access to Twitter in Turkey has been restored, the Netblocks internet observatory said.
“The restoration comes after authorities held a meeting with Twitter to ‘remind Twitter of its obligations on content takedowns and disinformation’,” Netblocks said.
Turkish authorities raised concerns over disinformation online without providing a formal explanation.
The observatory first reported restrictions on the social media platform on Wednesday. Twitter’s owner Elon Musk subsequently said Turkey had indicated it would restore access to the platform soon.
ℹ️ Update: Metrics confirm access to Twitter is being restored in #Turkey following hours of filtering. The restoration comes after authorities held a meeting with Twitter to “remind Twitter of its obligations” on content takedowns and disinformation.
📰 https://t.co/CEbfgeBpvz pic.twitter.com/EOI9jFyztS
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 9, 2023
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‘Smell of death everywhere’ as Syrian rescuers plead for supplies
The Syrian Civil Defence group is calling for supplies of search and rescue equipment, describing the situation in rebel-held northwestern Syria as “tragic” and permeated with “the smell of death”.
“The situation is tragic in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, hundreds of families are still under the rubble,” volunteer Asim al-Yahya said, according to a tweet from the group also known as the White Helmets.
As rescue efforts cross the 72-hour mark, “there is a great shortage of search and rescue equipment”, he added.
“The situation is tragic in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, hundreds of families are still under the rubble. As the 3rd day of the earthquake enters, there is a great shortage of search & rescue equipment.”#WhiteHelmets volunteer Asim Al-Yahya#Syria #earthquake pic.twitter.com/NWDTmQW01r
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 8, 2023
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‘Racing against time’: Rescuers work through night in Aleppo
The Syrian Civil Defence group continued search operations through the night in rebel-held parts of Syria as the rescue effort neared the 72-hour mark that disaster experts consider the most likely period to save lives.
“We are racing against time. Every minute counts,” tweeted the opposition group, also known as the White Helmets.
The group said hundreds of people remain trapped in the rubble in the town of Jandires in the province of Aleppo.
Night search and rescue operations in Jandires in the northern countryside of #Aleppo, where hundreds remain trapped under the rubble. We are racing against time. Every minute counts.#Syria #earthquake pic.twitter.com/xeOBrOxuIE
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 8, 2023
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Medical and rescue teams from South Africa reach Turkiye to assist earthquake victims
South African search and rescue experts, as well as medical teams arrived in Turkiye on Wednesday to help victims of Monday’s deadly quakes in which over 9,000 people have, so far, died, a humanitarian organisation said, Anadolu News Agency reports, Read more here
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Search-and-rescue teams save newborn baby trapped under the rubble for more than 50 hours in Turkiye Quakes hit city of Hatay.
Search-and-rescue teams save newborn baby trapped under the rubble for more than 50 hours in #TurkiyeQuakes-hit city of Hatay.#Turkey_earthquake #TurkeySyriaEarthquake pic.twitter.com/Qyp65CTayb
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 8, 2023
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Pope Francis calls for aid for earthquake victims in Türkiye, Syria
“I remain close with all my heart to the people affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. I continue to pray for those who have lost their lives, as well as the injured, family members, and rescuers,” Francis said during the General Audience held every Wednesday.
“May our concrete aid sustain them in the midst of this appalling tragedy,” Francis added. Read more here
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Türkiye quakes were among strongest since 1668, says geologist
The first tremor was “actually the first or second largest ever recorded earthquake in Türkiye (since earthquakes are being recorded systematically by seismological instruments),” Marc De Batist, a Belgian geologist at Ghent University, said.
“This together with the 1939 Erzincan earthquake (33,000 casualties) which … had a magnitude of 7.8,” he said.
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Türkiye suffered ‘worst’ inland shallow earthquake in 21st century: Seismologist
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Türkiye has been recorded as the worst inland shallow earthquake since 2000, according to a prominent seismologist.
Shinji Toda said that Türkiye suffered the worst “inland shallow earthquake” this century, claiming the lives of over 8,500 people and injuring some 50,000 others, according to the latest official figures.
“I have checked the very large inland shallow earthquakes that devastated cities and villages around the globe since 2000. I have found that five earthquakes, which occur on average every five years, amount to 7.8 magnitude shallow inland huge earthquakes,” he said
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Nearly 300,000 displaced by quake in Syria – state media
More than 298,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to this week’s deadly earthquake, Syrian state media has reported.
The number appeared to be a reference only to the parts of Syria under government control, not those held by other factions in the north-west of the country, which is closer to the epicentre of Monday’s quake.
Reuters reports the state news agency Sana as quoting Hussein Makhlouf, minister of local administration and environment, as saying the state had opened 180 shelters for displaced people.
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‘Put politics aside’, facilitate northwest Syria aid access: UN
A leading United Nations official has called for the facilitation of aid access to rebel-held areas in Syria’s northwest, warning that relief stocks will soon be depleted.
Rebel-held areas near Turkey’s border cannot receive aid from government-held parts of Syria without Damascus’s authorisation.
“Put politics aside and let us do our humanitarian work,” the UN’s resident Syria coordinator El-Mostafa Benlamlih said, warning, “We can’t afford to wait and negotiate. By the time we negotiate, it’s done, it’s finished.”
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British charities to launch coordinated appeal to help quake victims
British humanitarian charities are to launch a joint appeal to raise funds for people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
The Disasters Emergency Committee is co-ordinating a rapid response by 14 charities, including the British Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the government would match any donations made by the public.
“When disasters like these terrible earthquakes strike, we know the British people want to help,” he said.
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After fleeing war in Gaza, an entire Palestinian family dies in quakes in Turkey
Twelve years ago, Abdel-Karim Abu Jalhoum fled war and poverty in the Gaza Strip for safety in Turkey.
On Monday, the earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria killed him and his entire family.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Abu Jalhoum; his wife, Fatima; and their four children were among 70 Palestinians who had been found dead.
“My brother went to Turkey to seek a better life away from wars and blockades here in Gaza,” said Abu Jalhoum’s brother Ramzy, 43, as relatives and neighbours trickled into the family’s house in the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip to pay their respects.
“We lost the family. An entire family was wiped off the civil registration record,” he said.
Syrian man digs for 30 relatives buried by quakes
Malek Ibrahim made it out of his home after earthquakes hit Syria and thought he could breathe a sigh of relief. But 30 relatives were still unaccounted for elsewhere.
For the past two days, Ibrahim has been doggedly tearing at the rubble with his hands as he searches for family members who were buried when Monday’s deadly earthquakes struck both Syria and Turkey.
So far, he has managed to retrieve 10 bodies with help from residents and rescue workers in Besnaya, a village in northwestern Syria on the Turkish border.
His uncle, his cousin and their families were all trapped under debris.
“The whole family is gone. It’s complete genocide,” said the 40-year-old covered in dirt.
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Total death toll surpasses 11,500
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the death toll in the country from Monday’s earthquakes has reached at least 9,057 as rescue workers continue to search for victims buried under mountains of rubble.
At least another 2,530 people have been killed in Syria, according to tallies by the government in Damascus and rescue groups in rebel-held regions.
The latest figures bring the total death toll to 11,587.
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President Erdogan condemns criticism of Turkey’s quake response
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned criticism of the government’s response to the earthquakes that have killed more than 11,000 people in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria.
“This is a time for unity, solidarity,” he told reporters on his arrival in the southern province of Hatay. “In a period like this, I cannot stomach people conducting negative campaigns for political interests.”
He said it was not possible to be prepared for such a disaster but his government would accelerate rubble removal and housing construction.
The death toll in Turkey had risen to 9,057, he said.
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WHO sending medics and supplies to earthquake zone
The World Health Organisation is flying medical personnel and supplies to Turkey and Syria after Monday’s devastating earthquakes.
It will send a high-level delegation to coordinate its response as well as three flights with medical supplies, one of which is already on its way to Istanbul, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing.
“The health needs are tremendous,” said Dr Iman Shankiti, the WHO representative for Syria.
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Rescuers in Turkey save Syrian refugee from rubble
Rescue teams found a young Syrian refugee under the rubble of a collapsed building in the southern Turkish town of Hatay.
The workers gave the boy water from a bottle cap before pulling him out, nearly 45 hours after the first of two major earthquakes.
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Bangladesh sending rescue team to quake-hit Türkiye
Announcing the decision at a press conference, Bangladesh’s Fire Service and Civil Defense Director General Brig. Gen. Md Main Uddin said a 60-member team, including 12 membe rs from Bangladesh Fire Services and Civil Defense, will leave Dhaka for Türkiye on Wednesday night to take part in the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, declaring Thursday as a day of mourning, a government notification said the country’s national flag will be flown at half-staff at all government, semi-government, and autonomous institutions across the country.
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Sixty-six Palestinians killed in Türkiye-Syria earthquakes
The Palestinian death toll in the two violent earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria has risen to 66, according to officials.
Ahmed al Deek, a political adviser to the foreign minister, said more Palestinian refugees were found dead in Syria.
He added that the victims were pulled from under the rubble in the Raml refugee camp in Latakia city.
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Combined death toll in Turkey and Syria rises to over 11,200
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced that the death toll from Monday’s quake has reached 8,754. Combined with the 2,470 known deaths in Syria, that brings the total official death toll to 11,224.
The World Health Organization has suggested the final toll could rise as high as 20,000. A similar-sized earthquake in the region in 1999 killed at least 17,000 people.
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Al-Azhar calls on entire world to provide relief for quake victim
Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning, has called for global efforts to provide relief for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
“Our hearts are torn with pain over the terrible scenes from the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey,” Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, said on Twitter.
“I call on the entire world to rise up to provide relief to those afflicted, to help the wounded and homeless, and to hasten to save the people trapped under the rubble,” he added.
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Syria’s White Helmets rescuers urge international quake help
The White Helmets leading efforts to rescue people buried under rubble in rebel-held areas of earthquake-hit Syria have appealed for international help in their “race against time”.
First responders from the group that was formed a decade ago to save the lives of civilians during Syria’s civil war sprung into action early Monday when a 7.8-magnitude quake rocked Turkey and Syria.
“International rescue teams must come into our region,” said Mohammed Shibli, a spokesperson for the group officially known as the Syria Civil Defence.
“People are dying every second; we are in a race against time,” he said from neighbouring Turkey. “We ask the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards the victims.”
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Türkiye has taken action with all its institutions and resources since Monday’s deadly earthquakes in its southern provinces, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Kahramanmaras
LIVE: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks in Kahramanmaras, the epicentre of #TurkiyeQuakes
https://t.co/vrYejZFSCT— PresserWatch (@PresserWatch) February 8, 2023
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This girl was rescued after being trapped for 40 hours in Salqin, Idlib:
Child rescued from collapsed building after 40 hours near Idlib#Turkey_earthquake #syriaearthquake pic.twitter.com/uzEmgIf6SU
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 8, 2023
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Erdogan lands in disaster areas, including near quake epicenter
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has landed in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş in Turkey ahead of his trip to areas heavily impacted by Monday’s deadly earthquake, as the country reels from the deadly disaster.
Erdogan is expected to stop by an emergency relief area with tents during his visit to Kahramanmaraş city center and then go to the town of Pazarcık — which suffered major damage following the quake — state-run new agency Anadolu said.
He is scheduled to visit the province of Hatay later.
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Turkish goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan dies
Turkish goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan has died trapped under rubble, his club Yeni Malatyaspor has confirmed.
“Our goalkeeper, Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, lost his life after being under the collapse of the earthquake. Rest in peace,” the club said on Twitter.
“We will not forget you, beautiful person,” it added.
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Pope calls for support for quakes victims
Pope Francis offered his prayers for the thousands of victims of the earthquakes and called on the international community to continue to support rescue and recovery efforts.
“I am praying for them with emotion and I wanted to say that I am close to these people, to the families of the victims and everyone who is suffering from this devastating disaster,” he said.
“I thank those who are offering help and encourage everyone to show solidarity with these countries, some of which have already been battered by a long war,” he added at the end of his weekly audience in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican.
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China offers emergency aid of $4.4m to earthquake-hit Syria
China will offer emergency humanitarian aid of 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) to earthquake-hit Syria, its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, told a regular news briefing.
Mao said $2 million of the emergency aid would be used for cash and urgently needed relief supplies, adding that China would speed up existing food aid projects.
China has already committed to give a first tranche of 40 million yuan in emergency aid to Turkey.
An earthquake rescue team sent by China has already arrived at Turkey’s Adana Airport early in the morning, state broadcaster CCTV said.
The 82-strong team brought 20 tonnes of medical and other rescue supplies and equipment, as well as four search-and-rescue dogs, CCTV added.
In addition, civil society rescue teams numbering at least 52, drawn from provinces such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, are heading to earthquake-hit areas in Turkey for rescue work, CCTV reported
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Taliban administration to send earthquake aid to Turkey, Syria
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration will send around $165,000 in aid to Turkey and Syria to help the response to a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck this week, according to a foreign ministry statement.
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Death toll in Turkey and Syria rises to over 9,500
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has reached at least 9,487, according to authorities.
In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 6,957, with more than 38,000 others reported injured, the country’s environment minister Murat Kurum said during a televised briefing on Wednesday.
In Syria, at least 2,530 people have been reported killed in both government-controlled areas and rebel-held regions.
Aid agencies and rescue workers say the death toll is likely to increase further with many people still trapped under the rubble.
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World Health Organisation on Turkey-Syria earthquake
The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that time is running out for the thousands injured and those still feared trapped.
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Before and after satellite images show scale of earthquake destruction in Turkey
Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies give an idea of the scale of the challenge for emergency crews over the coming days. They show in vivid detail the breadth of the destruction that has unfolded in towns, cities and villages across the region. Have a look here to see more on buildings before and after the devastating earthquakes. Click Here
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Malaysia to send second rescue team to Turkey
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced that a second specialist rescue team will leave for Turkey.
The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) will join a team of 75 already on the ground and will be working in Gaziantep.
The Ministry of Defence will also send a team of doctors and paramedics to set up a field hospital.
The government has also agreed to send $1m for Turkey and Syria, but it did not elaborate on how the funds would be split.
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South Korea sending 110 rescue workers to Turkey
South Korea is dispatching 110 workers to assist in search and rescue efforts in quake-hit Turkey, according to the Yonhap news agency.
The team comprises 60 members of the Korea Disaster Relief team and 50 military personnel, the agency reported.
Seoul has already pledged $5m in emergency humanitarian assistance to Turkey.
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Turkey and Syria earthquake: death toll rises to 8,700
Turkey has revised up the death toll again from the earthquake, with authorities now saying that 6,957 people have been killed there. With the 2,470 deaths in Syria included, the total number killed by Monday’s quake now stands at 9,427.
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Chinese rescue team arrives in Turkey
An earthquake rescue team dispatched by China’s government has arrived at Turkey’s Adana Airport.
The team, comprising 82 members, brought 20 tonnes of medical and other rescue supplies and equipment, as well as four search-and-rescue dogs, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Separately, civil society rescue teams with at least 52 members from several provinces in China, including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Guangdong, are heading to the earthquake-stricken areas in Turkey to carry out rescue work, CCTV reported.
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More children pulled alive from rubble in Turkey
Turkish state media is reporting on the rescues of more children in southern Turkey.
They include a 12-year-old girl in the province of Malatya who was pulled from the rubble after 40 hours and a 10-year-old Syrian girl who was rescued from the debris of a flattened five-storey building in the province of Hatay. She had been trapped under the rubble for 39 hours.
Another four-year-old girl was rescued in Hatay, 33 hours after the earthquakes struck, while a six-year-old boy was also pulled from the rubble in Hatay. Anadolu Agency said emergency crews were now working on rescuing the boy’s mother.
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UN ‘exploring all avenues’ to send aid to rebel-held parts of Syria
The United Nations says it is “exploring all avenues” to get supplies to rebel-held northwestern Syria and has released $25m from its emergency fund to help kick-start the humanitarian response in Turkey and Syria.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the the global body is preparing a convoy to cross conflict lines within Syria, as Monday’s earthquakes have damaged the road leading to the main border crossing from Turkey to northern Syria.
Bab al-Hawa is the only crossing through which UN aid is allowed into the rebel-held northwest. But sending a convoy through Syria would likely require a new agreement with President Bashar al-Assad’s government, which has laid siege to rebel-held areas throughout the civil war.
In Turkey, Dujarric said, Syrian refugees make up more than 1.7 million of the 15 million people inhabiting the 10 provinces affected by the earthquake.
“As the people in the region deal with the devastating consequences of this tragedy, we want to tell them that they are not alone.”
Following earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, @UNReliefChief releases USD $25 million from @UNCERF for humanitarian response. https://t.co/NgrsY4Oqc6
— United Nations (@UN) February 7, 2023
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Turkish President Erdogan to travel to quake-hit areas
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will go to Turkey’s southern region to inspect areas struck by the earthquakes, state media have said.
Erdogan is expected to visit Kahramanmaras city center first and then the Pazarcik district, Anadolu Agency reported.
The president is later expected to head to Hatay for inspections, it added.
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Aerial images show the sheer scale of the devastation in Aleppo, Syria
Malaysia to send second rescue team to Turkey
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced that a second specialist rescue team will leave for Turkey.
The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) will join a team of 75 already on the ground and will be working in Gaziantep.
The Ministry of Defence will also send a team of doctors and paramedics to set up a field hospital.
The government has also agreed to send $1m for Turkey and Syria, but it did not elaborate on how the funds would be split.
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Earthquakes in Turkey moved the country by up to 3 metres, Italian seismologist says
Later experts revealed that the earthquake was caused by the Arabian tectonic plate moving northward. Turkey is prone to earthquakes as it sits above major faultlines, bordering the Anatolian Plate, Arabian Plate and Eurasian Plate. Rea more here
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Hospitals in Syria are “absolutely overloaded,” says UNICEF representative in Aleppo
Hospitals in earthquake-hit Syria are “absolutely overloaded,” UNICEF representative in Aleppo, Angela Kearney, told CNN’s Christina Macfarlane on Tuesday. Kearney said hospitals are full of patients with trauma, broken bones and lacerations, and that some people are also going to the hospital to seek help for the mental trauma they endured when the quake struck. Read more here
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Algeria sends specialised civil protection agents to Syria and Turkey to help in rescue and relief operations following a devastating earthquake that struck these countries.
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Earthquake maps show the scale of the destruction
Two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.5 and 7.8 devasted areas of southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday. The shockwaves eminated from the Anatolian Fault that passes through the area. As these diagrams show, the affected area spans the width of the Netherlands and more than 5,000 people have already been confirmed dead as a result of the quakes.
YOU CAN HELP NOW: A series of devastating #earthquakes hit Türkiye yesterday. +3.5k died, +5K buildings collapsed. I made the below maps to show the sheer scale of affected areas. See yourselves how these earthquakes would affect if they took place in UK, Germany & Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/cHjH1SLYgm
— Arif Cem Gundogan (@arifcemgundogan) February 7, 2023
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Children sleeping in cars as earthquake relief hindered by weather
Children are sleeping in cars as freezing conditions continue to hinder aid to Turkey and Syria, Save the Children said in a statement.
Freezing temperatures and damaged roads and airports are making it difficult for aid agencies to reach thousands of children and their families in desperate need of assistance following Monday’s devastating earthquakes, the charity said.
“It is incredibly cold in Syria right now. We are extremely concerned that many people, including children, could still be trapped under rubble. Others are still homeless and making do with what they can, including sleeping in cars.
“We are particularly worried about children sleeping outside in freezing temperatures,” said Kathryn Achilles, advocacy media and communications director for Save the Children Syria.
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USAID teams to arrive in Turkey Wednesday to boost search and rescue efforts
Two US Agency for International Development (USAID) teams will arrive Wednesday morning in Turkey and will head to the southeastern province of Adiyaman to focus on urban search and rescue.
USAID’s Disaster Assistance response team leader for the earthquake response, Stephen Allen, told reporters on Tuesday the teams will be about 80 people each and also bring 12 dogs and 170,000 pounds of specialised tools and equipment, including for triage and concrete breaking.
Wheels Up 🛫: @VATF1 & @LACOFD urban search-and-rescue teams are on their way to #Türkiye to find earthquake survivors. The team includes 161 members, 12 canines & 170K+ lbs of specialized equipment. They will join our @USAID team already on the ground. pic.twitter.com/sQYSHaSZvL
— USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (@USAIDSavesLives) February 7, 2023
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Saudi Arabia pledges quake relief to Syria, Turkey
Saudi Arabia has ordered the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre “to provide health, shelter, food and logistical assistance” to Syria and Turkey, the official SPA news agency said.
It will also launch a public donation campaign for quake victims in both countries, SPA added.
The oil-rich Gulf kingdom has backed groups opposed to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad during the war, and some of Syria’s exiled opposition figures are based in Riyadh.
But in recent years, Saudi Arabia has softened its stance against al-Assad and senior Syrian officials have said that efforts were under way to improve ties.
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Palestinian children hold vigil in Gaza Strip for earthquake victims
Palestinian children hold vigil in Gaza Strip for earthquake victims#Turkey_earthquake pic.twitter.com/sRD1LeqdJp
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 7, 2023
Palestinian children hold vigil in Gaza Strip for earthquake victims#Turkey_earthquake #Syria_earthquake pic.twitter.com/VhbAlzfHlN
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 7, 2023
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Earthquake death toll passes 7,000
The death toll from the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 7,266.
Syria’s volunteer organisation the White Helmets, also known as Syria Civil Defence, said the death toll in northwest Syria was 1,020 in opposition-held areas.
Syrian state media reported that at least 812 people are dead in government-controlled areas, bringing Syria’s total death toll to at least 1,832.
Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca said in a news conference on Tuesday that the death toll in Turkey is now 5,434.
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King Charles sends message to Erdogan
The UK’s King Charles has told President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that his “thoughts and special prayers” are with all those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey.
“My wife and I have been most shocked and profoundly saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes in South East Turkiye [Turkey],” he said.
“Our thoughts and special prayers are with everyone who has been affected by this appalling natural disaster, whether through injury or the destruction of their property, and also with the emergency services and those assisting in the rescue efforts.”
The King has sent a message following the recent earthquakes.
🔗Head to our website to read the message in full: https://t.co/3eyMtIJdsE pic.twitter.com/MV1xeK5y0a
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 7, 2023
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Baby and mother rescued from collapsed building in Hatay, Turkey after 29 hours.#Syria_earthquake #turkeyearthquake2023 pic.twitter.com/9TQ1F8EwSD
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 7, 2023
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Syrian foreign minister urges European states to send aid despite sanctions
Syrian foreign minister Faisal Mekdad has asked European countries to send aid after the deadly earthquake, saying that sanctions are no excuse not to, he told Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV on Tuesday.
Syrian officials have long argued that Western sanctions have harmed reconstruction efforts in areas where the 12-year conflict has subsided.
The US and European nations have said that sanctions aim to pressure the Syrian government into a political process that could end the conflict.
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Turkish football club confirms goalkeeper died in earthquake
Second-tier Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor has confirmed on Twitter that their goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan died in the earthquake.
Başımız sağ olsun!
Kalecimiz Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan, meydana gelen depremde göçük altında kalarak, hayatını kaybetmiştir. Allah rahmet eylesin, mekanı cennet olsun.
Seni unutmayacağız güzel insan.😢 pic.twitter.com/15yjH9Sa1H— Yeni Malatyaspor (@YMSkulubu) February 7, 2023
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Canada to send $7.5m in earthquake relief in initial response
Canada is sending 10 million Canadian dollars ($7.5m US) in aid to help with the response to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.
After yesterday’s devastating earthquakes, we’re providing $10 million in immediate aid to the people of Türkiye and Syria – and we’ll continue to provide support as the situation evolves. Our partners are already distributing food, emergency fuel, and shelter items.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 7, 2023
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Earthquake death toll passes 6,000
The death toll from Monday’s quake has climbed to 4,544 in Turkey, according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
The number of those killed in Syria is close to 1,832. More than 1,020 people have been killed in opposition-held areas, according to the White Helmets, also known as Syria Civil Defence. In government-controlled areas, the death toll is 812, according to the state news agency SANA.
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UNESCO ready to assist quake-damaged heritage in Turkey, Syria
UNESCO, the UN’s cultural agency, says it is ready to provide assistance after two sites on its world heritage list in Syria and Turkey sustained damage in Monday’s earthquakes.
The old city of Aleppo in northern Syria and the fortress in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakır have been damaged. UNESCO says at least three other world heritage sites could also be affected, including the famous archaeological site at Mount Nemrut.
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A 20-year-old student survived the earthquake in Turkey after posting a video to social media from underneath the rubble.
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International Rescue Committee warns of ‘catastrophic humanitarian needs’
The International Rescue Committee is warning of “catastrophic humanitarian needs” in Syria and Turkey as it appeals for funds and lifesaving support for those affected “before it is too late”.
“With the response in its infancy the need for humanitarian aid is stark,” Tanya Evans, the aid group’s Syria director, said in a statement. “Roads and infrastructure, like bridges, have been damaged meaning it will likely prove challenging to get supplies to those who need it most.”
“Even before the earthquake, humanitarian access was constrained in northwest Syria, with most aid coming in via one crossing-point with Türkiye,” she said. “In this time of increased need it is critical that the levels of aid crossing also increase at pace too.”
The International Rescue Committee has been working in Syria since 2012 and responding to needs in northern Syria.
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Charlie Hebdo mocks Turkey’s deadly earthquakes sparks outrage
French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, has sparked outrage with a new cartoon mocking Turkiye after the country was hit on Monday by two deadly earthquakes, Anadolu News Agency reports.
The cartoon, posted on Twitter under the heading “cartoon of the day”, shows buildings near collapse and lying in rubble, a flipped-over car, and piles of debris in the quakes’ aftermath. Read more here
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Mesut Hancer, a father holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter, Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Turkish region of Kahramanmaraş, close to the earthquake’s epicentre.
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Syrian infant baby born under rubble of collapsed home
Extended family members have pulled a newborn baby alive from the rubble of a home in northern Syria, after finding her still tied by her umbilical cord to her mother, who died in Monday’s massive quake, a relative said.
The infant is the sole survivor of her immediate family, the rest of whom were all killed when the 7.8-magnitude quake that struck Syria and neighbouring Turkey flattened the family home in the rebel-held town of Jindayris, Khalil al-Suwadi said.
“We heard a voice while we were digging,” Suwadi told AFP Tuesday.
“We cleared the dust and found the baby with the umbilical cord (intact) so we cut it and my cousin took her to hospital.”
Video of the rescue went viral on social media.
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Pakistan Sends Cargo Plane With Goods And Rescue Team Cargo plane carrying emergency goods alongside search & rescue personnel set to leave Pakistan’s capital Islamabad for Türkiye.
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Survivors were rescued from the rubble after hours of search in NW Syria#Syria_earthquake #TurkeyEarthquake pic.twitter.com/Oj2wMdaeps
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 7, 2023
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UK for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has launched an urgent appeal
In a press release it said that in Syria the organisation was already distributing emergency supplies, such as high-thermal blankets, mattresses and other lifesaving items, and was working to mobilise additional supplies for the region.
Emma Cherniavsky, chief executive of UK for UNHCR, said: “Thousands of people’s lives were devastated in one night when the first of these terrible earthquakes struck. Many families who had previously fled from conflict in Syria were already struggling to cope with the cold winter, and now are facing this new crisis.
“UNHCR is already working to help people affected by these earthquakes and assessing what more needs to be done. Every donation will help us to deliver essential aid to the people affected.”
The appeal can be found here.
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According to Reuters, the death toll in the rebel-held northwest of Syria has been raised to 900
Earlier today it was given as 790 with a warning that it would “dramatically” rise.
The total death toll in both Turkey and Syria now stands at 5,261, with the expectation that numbers will continue to rise.
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UNICEF: Thousands of children may have been killed in earthquakes
In Geneva, Unicef spokesperson James Elder has told reporters: “The earthquakes … may have killed thousands of children.”
While verified numbers were not yet available, Reuters reports he said “we know that scores of schools, hospitals and other medical and educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes, vastly impacting children”. Read more here
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A 15-month-old baby is rescued from under the rubble, 31 hours after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Kahramanmaras, Turkiye pic.twitter.com/fUt5iTHkU0
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) February 7, 2023
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Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu pulled out alive from rubble
Ghana international winger Christian Atsu has been found alive after being buried under rubble in the earthquake that hit Turkey, the vice president of his football club has told the media. Read more here
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Germany plans additional aid to NGO for Syria victims
Germany will provide an additional million euros to the Malteser International aid group and is working to make more financial aid available to other humanitarian partners helping quake victims in Syria, foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has said.
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin with Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzojan, Baerbock added that Germany is also pushing for humanitarian access to Syria.
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UNICEF: Thousands of children may have been killed in earthquakes
With the death toll continuing to rise in Turkey and Syria, the United Nations children’s agency is now saying that thousands of children may have been killed as a result of Monday’s earthquake and its aftershocks.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder made the announcement in a briefing to reporters in Geneva and added that the organisation was not currently able to determine the specific number of children killed.
Many families in Syria and Turkey are continuing to search for their children, while other children have been pulled out of the rubble only to find that their family members have died.
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People are turning out in droves at blood donation centers set up all over Türkiye to help victims of the massive earthquakes in the country’s southern provinces pic.twitter.com/zaQ8Df5FdR
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) February 7, 2023
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WHO says earthquake could affect up to 23 million
Some 23 million people could be affected by the earthquake disaster, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
“Event overview maps show that potentially 23 million people are exposed, including around five million vulnerable populations,” said Adelheid Marschang, the WHO’s senior emergencies officer.
“Civilian infrastructure and potentially health infrastructure have been damaged across the affected region, mainly in Turkey and northwest Syria,” Marschang added.
The WHO “considers that the main unmet needs may be in Syria in the immediate and mid-term,” Marschang told the WHO’s executive committee in Geneva.
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Erdogan declares state of emergency in 10 Turkish cities
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 cities in the country after Monday’s devastating earthquakes and aftershocks.
He added that the death toll in Turkey had risen to 3,549, adding that the 10 cities would be declared as part of an earthquake disaster zone.
LIVE: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the latest developments after #TurkiyeQuakes https://t.co/uCTTtfKVBq
— PresserWatch (@PresserWatch) February 7, 2023
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(VIDEO) Flags in Türkiye have been lowered to half-staff as the country observes seven days of national mourning over the deadly earthquakes that have wreaked massive devastation and claimed thousands of lives pic.twitter.com/vFKTEp95CG
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) February 7, 2023
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Qatar to send 10,000 mobile homes to Turkey and Syria
Qatar is sending 10,000 mobile homes to earthquake-affected areas in Turkey and Syria, as well as 120 rescue workers, a field hospital and humanitarian assistance, Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker has reported.
“We are on an aircraft that is due to depart to Turkey. It is a large C-130, with crew that will be part of setting up those mobile homes,” she added from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
“There is a medical team on board, rescue members are on board as well. They are trying to get things for survivors, there is onboard equipment as well. We will be flying to one of the airports in the southeast that is currently closed, in efforts to try to get as much of this aid as possible [to people].”
Aerial images show flattened buildings in Hatay, Turkey
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Fire at the port of İskenderun on the Mediterranean Sea continues for the second day. Turkish coast guard vessel was assisting efforts to extinguish the fire.#TurkeyEarthquake #iskenderun pic.twitter.com/PelpwqKFp3
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 7, 2023
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Aerial footage shows destruction caused by earthquakes in Turkey#Turkey #hatayyardimbekliyor #Syria_earthquake pic.twitter.com/nu8jhtFnVw
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 7, 2023
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Conditions better for supplying aid by air: Turkey vice president
According to Fuat Oktay, Turkey’s vice president, the weather has become more suitable now for air carriers to land in cities near areas affected by the earthquake, such as Hatay and Adiyaman.
Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said 71 flights had taken off from Turkey’s largest city to the airports that are still functioning in the region.
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Death toll in Turkey rises to 3,381
The death toll from Monday’s earthquakes in Turkey has risen by 460 in the last few hours from 2,921 to 3,381, according to the Anadolu news organisation, which cites the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
With the highest death toll coming from Syria, the most recent figure for which is 1,444, that brings the total toll to 4,825.
The WHO has warned the number of dead could rise to more than four times this figure, or about 20,000, in the coming days.
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Syrian opposition says ‘hundreds of families’ still trapped under rubble
Time is running out to save hundreds of families still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings after this week’s devastating earthquake, the head of the Syrian opposition-run civil defence service said on Tuesday.
Raed al-Saleh told Reuters that urgent help was needed from international groups for the rescue effort by the organisation known as the White Helmets in rebel-held northwest Syria, where hundreds were killed and injured.
“Every second means saving lives and we call on all humanitarian organisations to give material aid and respond to this catastrophe urgently,” he said.
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Fire at the port of İskenderun on the Mediterranean Sea continues for the second day
Associated Press reports that a fire at the port of İskenderun on the Mediterranean Sea continues for the second day. Television images showed thick black smoke rising from burning containers which had toppled when the quakes struck on Monday. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said a Turkish coast guard vessel was assisting efforts to extinguish the fire.
Fire at the port of İskenderun on the Mediterranean Sea continues for the second day. Turkish coast guard vessel was assisting efforts to extinguish the fire.#TurkeyEarthquake #iskenderun pic.twitter.com/PelpwqKFp3
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 7, 2023
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Australia pledges $10 million in assistance after earthquakes
Australia pledged $10 million in humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria on Tuesday following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and a strong aftershock that have killed thousands of people.
It pledged $7 million to Turkey and $3 million to Syria, in part through partner agencies like the Red Cross and Red Crescent and UNICEF, Pat Conroy, Australia’s minister for defense industry and minister of international development, said in a joint statement with the country’s foreign affairs minister.
New Zealand also announced $1.5 million in assistance to the two countries Tuesday, which it called an initial contribution.
Other countries have also pledged aid to Turkey and Syria after the earthquake struck early Monday. More than 3,700 people have died in the two countries, officials have said.
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More than 6,000 buildings collapsed, state-run media reports
As rescuers search for survivors following a 7.8-magnitutde earthquake that struck Turkey, more than 6,000 buildings in the country have collapsed, state-run media reported.
Yunus Sezer, the head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, said 6,217 buildings have collapsed in the earthquake and aftershocks, according to the Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency.
More than 3,700 people have died in Turkey and Syria, officials have said. Countries all over the world, including the U.S., have offered help and search and rescue teams.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said it’s the country’s largest disaster since 1939, when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country. Monday’s earthquake was also followed by a 7.5-magnitude aftershock.
One person was rescued from the rubble of a 6-story building that collapsed in southeastern province of Sanliurfa after about 18 hours https://t.co/9XuWtuDWGi pic.twitter.com/8vFuotS64I
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) February 6, 2023
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Syrian opposition rescuer says hundreds still under rubble
Time is running out to save hundreds of families were still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings, the head of the Syrian opposition-run civil defence service has said.
“Every second means saving lives and we call on all humanitarian organisations to give material aid and respond to this catastrophe urgently,” Raed al-Saleh of the White Helmets told Reuters news agency.
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Doctors Without Borders staff among victims
The medical aid organisation, Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF), says a staff member has been found dead under the rubble of his house in Syria’s Idlib province following the powerful earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey.
“We are very shocked and saddened by the impact of this disaster on the thousands of people touched by it, including our colleagues and their families,” said Sebastien Gay, the group’s head of mission in Syria.
Gay said health facilities in northern Syria were overwhelmed with medical personnel working around the clock to respond to the large numbers of people injured.
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China to give Turkey $6m in emergency aid
China will give a first tranche of 40 million yuan ($5.9m) in emergency aid to help Turkey’s relief efforts, state broadcaster CCTV has announced.
China’s Red Cross will give emergency aid of $200,000 each to Turkey and Syria, it added.
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‘Nobody is coming’: Residents of Turkey’s Hatay plead for help
Residents of Turkey’s Hatay province, where many people remain trapped under rubble, say they have had little help since Monday’s earthquakes.
Weeping in the rain, a resident who gave his name as Deniz wrung his hands in despair.
“They’re making noises but nobody is coming,” he told the Reuters news agency. “We’re devastated, we’re devastated. My God … They’re calling out. They’re saying, ‘Save us,’ but we can’t save them. How are we going to save them? There has been nobody since the morning.”
The province’s main airport, which serves the cities of Antakya and Iskenderun, has been closed due to extensive damage to its runway.
Ragip Soylu, Turkey bureau chief for the Middle East Eye news website, said rescuers were not able to reach the province for nearly 24 hours after the deadly quakes. “It is awful. Too many messages of people in the rubble,” he tweeted. “People who speak from the city only cry. That’s the only thing they could do.”
Thousands of people are calling specific help for Hatay where Turkish rescue workers couldn’t reach nearly for 24 hours.
It is awful. Too many messages of people in the rubble. People who speak from the city only cry. That’s the only thing they could do
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) February 7, 2023
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‘God gave me a new lease on life’: Syrian survivor
Osama Abdul Hamid has said he barely made it out alive with his wife and four children when their apartment building collapsed in the village of Azmarin in rebel-held northwestern Syria.
In a hospital in the town of Darkush in western Idlib, Abdul Hamid told The Associated Press news agency that he and his family were sleeping in their apartment when they were roused by powerful, prolonged shaking.
They ran from the apartment, but “before we reached the door of the building, the whole building came down on us,” he said.
A wooden door shielded them from the worst force of the collapse — they all got out alive.
Abdul Hamid, his wife and three of the children suffered head injuries but are all in stable condition.
“The building is four stories, and from three of them, no one made it out,” Abdul Hamid told AP, breaking down in tears.
“God gave me a new lease on life.”
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Rescuers working through frigid night in Turkey’s Sanliurfa
Rescuers braved freezing temperatures in the southeastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa as they worked through the night to try and pull survivors from the wreckage of collapsed buildings.
At the site of a flattened seven-storey building, Omer El Cuneyd waited for news of survivors.
“There is a family I know under the rubble,” the 20-year-old Syrian student told the AFP news agency. “Until 11:00am or noon, my friend was still answering the phone. But she no longer answers. She is down there.”
Sanliurfa’s streets, meanwhile, were filled with terrified residents who spent the night outside despite the bitter cold.
Mustafa Koyuncu packed his wife and their five children into their car, too scared to move. “We can’t go home,” the 55-year-old told AFP. “Everyone is afraid.”
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At least 20 escape Syria prison holding ISIL inmates: Report
Prisoners at a jail in northwestern Syria have mutinied following Monday’s deadly earthquakes, with at least 20 escaping the jail, a source at the facility told the AFP news agency.
The military police prison in the town of Rajo, near the Turkish border, holds about 2,000 inmates, with about 1,300 of them suspected to be ISIL (ISIS) fighters, said the source.
The prison also holds fighters from Kurdish-led forces.
“After the earthquake struck, Rajo was affected and inmates started to mutiny and took control of parts of the prison,” said the official at Rajo jail. “About 20 prisoners fled … who are believed to be [ISIL] militants.”
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Biden calls Erdogan to express condolences
US President Joe Biden has expressed his condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call after Monday’s earthquake.
Biden also “reaffirmed the readiness of the United States to provide any and all needed assistance to our NATO ally Türkiye in response to this tragedy,” the White House said in a statement.
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‘Let us know’: US offers assistance to Turkey
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has offered Turkey the United States’s full assistance in responding to Monday’s earthquake.
Blinken told Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that “anything Turkey needed that we could provide, they should pick up the phone and let us know,” according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Blinken has asked his senior staff to identify what funding might be available to help Turkey and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) working on the ground in Syria, Price added.
Washington has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is in the process of deploying two urban search and rescue teams from Virginia and California that are expected to comprise 79 people each, the US Agency for International Development said.
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UN says damaged roads, weather hampering Syria rescue efforts
A top United Nations humanitarian official has said damage to roads, fuel shortages and cold weather in Syria are hampering the agency’s response to Monday’s earthquake.
The quake struck mostly in the north, where 12 years of civil war have already traumatised the population and weakened many buildings.
“The infrastructure is damaged, the roads that we used to use for humanitarian work are damaged, we have to be creative in how to get to the people … but we are working hard,” UN resident coordinator El-Mostafa Benlamlih told the Reuters news agency in an interview via video link from Damascus.
Even before the earthquake, the UN estimated about 70 percent of the population needed humanitarian aid.
Now, “they are the same people — suffering more,” Benlamlih said.
He noted that many people whose homes had collapsed were spending the night out in the open or in cars, often in freezing temperatures, without adequate access to basic items like jackets and mattresses.
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🇬🇪 : #Georgia sends rescue team along with the necessary rescue equipment and to #Turkey pic.twitter.com/dY8vsnum5h
— Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) February 6, 2023
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🇹🇼 : Rescue team flies from #Taiwan to #Turkey to help the victims affected by the powerful #earthquake pic.twitter.com/MTrhPMBvTw
— Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) February 6, 2023
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The death toll has risen to 2,724 in the massive earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, according to officials in both countries.
In Syria, the death toll increased to at least 593, with another 1,411 injured in affected areas, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.
At least 480 people have died and 1,500 were injured in Syria’s rebel-held areas, according to the White Helmets.
In Turkey, at least 1,651 people were killed and 11,119 injured, with 3,471 buildings collapsed, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
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White Helmets say death toll ‘may increase every minute’; 200 buildings collapsed
A volunteer for the White Helmets, Syria’s opposition volunteer team of search and rescue responders officially known as Syria Civil Defence, said that “the number of victims may increase every minute.”
“The casualty is great, every hour,” Abdelkhalek Zakra said.
The White Helmets also say the number of completely collapsed buildings has risen to more than 200, with more than 420 partially collapsed. Thousands more buildings in northwestern Syria have sustained cracks.
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🇹🇷 : Moment a large building collapsing in the turkish city of Malatya following today’s devastating earthquakes.#Turkey pic.twitter.com/K5ARKp2Fn1
— Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) February 6, 2023
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🇸🇾 : Another building collapsed in #Syria.#earthquake pic.twitter.com/2O0s8QCsMY
— Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) February 6, 2023
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Drone footage shows the scale of devastation
in Turkey caused by the earthquakes pic.twitter.com/bOQJ0n8jHO— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 6, 2023
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View this post on Instagram
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At least 6,445 people rescued from collapsed buildings in Turkey
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority says 6,445 people have been rescued from collapsed buildings after Monday’s earthquakes.
The agency said at least 5,606 buildings have been destroyed after the quakes hit southeastern Turkey.
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Death toll in Turkey earthquakes rise to 1,762
The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey has risen to 1,762, the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority says.
At least 12,068 others have been injured in the quakes, the agency said.
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(VIDEO) Palestinian Muslims performed a funeral prayer in absentia at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem for the victims of powerful earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria https://t.co/0Oemoizkrt pic.twitter.com/3AK17sFoPj
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) February 6, 2023
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UAE pledges $13m in aid to quake-hit Syria
The United Arab Emirates says it will send humanitarian assistance worth $13.6m to Syria after Monday’s earthquakes, state media report.
Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum “directed urgent humanitarian aid to those affected in Syria”, the official news agency WAM said.
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UNICEF: THOUSANDS OF KIDS AT RISK AS SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS ARE DESTROYED
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Pakistani doctors, paramedics and rescue personnel to fly Turkey for earthquake relief work
Pakistani doctors, paramedics and rescue personnel are being sent to Turkey to help in ongoing rescue and relief operations, Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said. “Very soon an airplane will also be flown to Turkey with essential items and medicines,” the tweet read.
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Russian prez Putin calls Turkish prez to wish speedy recovery from earthquake
“President Vladimir Putin of Russia called President Erdogan on the phone, and conveyed his get well soon wishes to him over the earthquake. President Putin extended his condolences to President Erdoğan for those who lost their lives, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Also, President Putin informed President Erdoğan on the supports Russia would provide to Türkiye in search and rescue works as well as in dealing with the disaster (sic),” Turkish prez tweeted.
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UN General Assembly holds minute of silence for victims of the earthquake
UN General Assembly holds minute of silence for victims of the deadly earthquake in Türkiye https://t.co/mWeRr6t3ZZ pic.twitter.com/ywudOYiNQz
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) February 6, 2023
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman calls President Erdogan
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman conveys condolences to Turkish President Erdogan after deadly earthquakes hit southeastern provinces, reports TRT World Now.
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Israeli prez Herzog conveys condolences to Turkish prez
Israeli President Isaac Herzog offers condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports TRT World Now.
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Erdogan declares week-long mourning for quake victims
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey will observe seven days of national mourning for the victims of Monday’s earthquake.
“A national mourning period has been declared for seven days. Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in all our national and foreign representative offices,” Erdogan said in a tweet.
6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde ülkemizde meydana gelen depremler sebebiyle yedi gün süreyle millî yas ilan edilmiştir. Bütün yurtta ve dış temsilciliklerimizde 12 Şubat 2023 Pazar günü güneşin batışına kadar bayrağımız yarıya çekilecektir. pic.twitter.com/WsXvTpyr6y
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 6, 2023
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Syria earthquake death tolls hits 968
The death toll in Syria following Monday’s earthquake has increased to 968, according to government and rescue groups.
The quake killed at least 538 people and left at least another 1,353 injured in government-controlled parts of Syria, including the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, the health ministry said.
In rebel-held parts of the northwest of the country, at least 430 people were killed and more than 1,050 were injured, the White Helmets rescue group said, warning the toll could increase.
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Turkey earthquake death toll rises to 1,651
Turkey’s health ministry says the death toll from Monday’s earthquake has risen to 1,651.
At least 11,119 others were injured the quake, the ministry added.
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Turkey’s nuclear regulatory authority told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the earthquakes have not impacted the country’s nuclear safety and security.
As of now, no impact from earthquakes on nuclear safety & security in Türkiye, its Nuclear Regulatory Authority told IAEA; no issues so far related to radiological safety & security of radioactive sources, & the country’s under construction nuclear power plant is unaffected.
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) February 6, 2023
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A little girl pulled out from the rubble,Alive after 12 hours later in Earthquake, urfa Turkey#deprem #Turkey #PrayForTurkey #Turkiye #هزة_أرضية #Syria #syriaearthquake pic.twitter.com/Gm0JbZdeQH
— SAJID ALI KHAN (@Sajidalikhan007) February 6, 2023
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Combined death toll in Turkey and Syria rises to at least 2,300
Associated Press report that the death toll from Monday’s earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has now climbed to over 2,300 people.
At least 1,498 people were killed across 10 provinces of Turkey, with another 7,600 injured, according to the country’s disaster management agency.
The death toll in government-held areas of Syria rose to more than 430 people, with 1,280 injured, according to data from the health ministry. In the country’s north-west where the government is not in control, groups that operate there said the death toll was at least 380, with many hundreds injured.
The number is expected to continue to rise rapidly, with many people believed to be trapped under rubble in collapsed buildings.
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Basic humanitarian support needed in quake-hit Turkey: NGO
Tens of thousands of people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey are in urgent need of basic humanitarian support, Sezgin Karagoz, international coordinator of the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, told Al Jazeera from Kilis, one of the cities hit by the quakes.
“It is basic support – mostly food and shelter like tents, mats, raincoats, electric heaters or blankets,” he said. “It is very basic needs. It is very cold out here because it is winter.”
“It’s been snowing and raining all day. People need to stay warm,” he said.
UN General Assembly holds minute of silence for Turkey, Syria quake victims
The United Nations General Assembly has observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey.
“Our teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “We count on the international community to help the thousands of families hit by this disaster, many of whom were already in dire need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge.”
Qatar to send relief flights to Turkey
Qatar says it will start operating relief flights to Turkey to transport search and rescue teams to the earthquake-affected zones along with vehicles, a field hospital, tents and other supplies, its state news agency reported.
Qatar-funded Qatar Charity said it was distributing 27,000 hot meals in Gaziantep, where it has an office, and was supplying relief items to shelters in Turkey and Syria.
The group allocated $6m for the first stages of its response.
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Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu ‘missing’ after Turkey quake
Ghana national team player Christian Atsu is reportedly missing in Turkey following the earthquakes.
The 31-year-old, who previously had spells with Newcastle United, Everton and Porto, has been playing for Hatayspor in the Turkish Super Lig since joining the club last September.
Atsu was the hero for The Star of the South on Sunday, coming off the substitutes’ bench to score a 97th-minute goal in a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa.
Newcastle United, where Atsu spent five years, tweeted on Monday: “Praying for some positive news, @ChristianAtsu20”.
Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu ‘missing’ after Turkey quake
Ghana national team player Christian Atsu is reportedly missing in Turkey following the earthquakes. pic.twitter.com/DX4KiYJp1S
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 6, 2023
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Turkey-Syria earthquakes: Horrifying footage showing the extent of disaster in Turkey,@TurkishEmbPTA
Check LIVE UPADTES and VIDEOS HERE 👇🏼 https://t.co/A34VkSrnln pic.twitter.com/P9VMI8zRcN
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 6, 2023
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Pakistan stands side by side with Turkish brothers and sisters: PM Shehbaz Sharif to Prez Erdogan
Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “I just had a telephone conversation with His Excellency President Tayyip Erdogan, I expressed my condolences and regret for the loss of life and property as a result of the earthquake in Turkey. I have told them that Pakistan stands side by side for all kinds of help to its Turkish brothers and sisters in this hour of difficulty.” (approximate translation)
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Syria earthquake updates: Eight-storey building housing around 125 people collapses, rescue operation underway
In the city of Hama, an eight-storey building where around 125 people lived collapsed after the quake at dawn, with rescuers and civil defence forces still searching for survivors under the rubble, reports AFP.
Syria earthquake updates: Death toll rises over 800
At least 810 people were killed in Syria as multiple earthquakes struck its border with Turkey, state media and rescuers said, reports AFP.
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Turkey, Syria quake death toll set to jump: WHO
World Health Organization (WHO) expects a significant jump in the death toll following a major earthquake and aftershocks in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. “I think we can expect the death toll to increase significantly,” Rick Brennan, the WHO’s regional emergency director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told Reuters. “There’s been a lot of building collapses and it will increase more significantly around the epicentre of the earthquake.”
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10 cities affected by earthquake in Turkey
Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu reporting from Istanbul says at least 10 cities in the southeastern part of Turkey have been affected by the earthquake.
“We are talking about a vast geography. We are talking about at least 10 million people who live in these cities. This is a tough task for the Turkish authorities and local rescue workers to deal with,” Koseoglu said.
“We are hearing that rescue workers have not even been able to reach some of the places,” she added.
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UN ‘ready to deploy’ to quake-hit Turkey, Syria
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says its emergency teams are ready to be deployed to Turkey and Syria.
“We are shocked by the devastating earthquake that hit #Türkiye and #Syria at the height of a harsh winter,” UNOCHA said on Twitter.
It added that its “teams are assessing the damage” and are “ready to deploy”.
We are shocked by the devastating earthquake that hit #Türkiye and #Syria at the height of a harsh winter.
Our teams are assessing the damage with #UNDAC emergency response and search and rescue teams ready to deploy. pic.twitter.com/Of9YboQAn4
— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) February 6, 2023
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SEVERE WEATHER HAMPERS EARTHQUAKE RESCUERS IN TURKEY AND SYRIA
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Footballer Christian Atsu trapped ‘under rubble’ after Turkey earthquake
Footballer Christian Atsu is reportedly among those trapped after an earthquake in Turkey.
Atsu, 31, a former Chelsea and Newcastle winger, joined Hatayspor last summer, and the club’s sporting director Taner Savut is also thought to be trapped.
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Turkey shuts schools until February 13
Turkey’s education ministry says schools across the country will be closed until February 13 following Monday’s earthquake.
At least 1,121 deaths have been reported in Turkey and more than 7,630 others injured.
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Turkey death toll rises to 1,498
The death toll in Turkey has risen to 1,498, the head of the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said.
Orhan Tatar said all the areas impacted by the quake have been reached by teams, adding that reinforcements continue.
At least 8,533 have been injured in the earthquake, Tatar said, adding that 2,834 building have been destroyed in southeastern Turkey.
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Death toll in Turkey rises to 1,121
The death toll in Turkey has risen to 1,121, according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
The earthquake left at least 7,634 injured, AFAD said, adding that 2,834 buildings have been destroyed. The agency said 120 aftershocks have been recorded.
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Pope Francis ‘deeply saddened’ by quake in Turkey and Syria
The Vatican says Pope Francis is “deeply saddened” by the major earthquake that has hit Turkey and Syria.
“His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the huge loss of life caused by the earthquake. … He sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said in a statement.
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Biden pledges US aid for Turkey and Syria
President Joe Biden says he is “deeply saddened” by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and has promised Washington’s assistance for the two countries.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria. I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye and provide any and all needed assistance,” the president tweeted from his official account.
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Israel says it received request from Syria for aid
Israel has said that it has received a Syrian request assistance with earthquake relief, and that is was prepared to oblige, in what would be rare cooperation between the neighbours, although Israeli officials did not specify if the request came from the Syrian government or from opposition groups.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech he had ordered Israeli aid sent to Turkey, the epicentre of Monday’s earthquake, and that “since a request was also received to do this for many victims of the earthquake in Syria, I instructed to do this as well”.
Asked who had made the request regarding Syria cited by Netanyahu, an Israeli official told Reuters: “The Syrians”. Asked if this referred to opposition members or to President al-Assad’s government, the official said only: “Syria”.
A second Israeli official said the request had been relayed to the Netanyahu government “by a diplomatic source”. There was no immediate Syrian response to the Israeli statements.
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Death toll rises to 783 in Turkey
Turkish government and rescuers say at least 783 people have been killed in the earthquake.
The Syrian health ministry said the death toll rose to “1,284 injured and 403 dead in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Tartus” – all government-controlled areas.
The White Helmets rescue group that operates in the rebel-held areas said “the death toll from the earthquake in northwestern Syria has risen to more than 380 and more than 1,000 injured”.
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Turkey quake tremors felt as far away as Greenland
Tremors from the powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey were felt as far away as Greenland, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland said.
“The large earthquakes in Turkey were clearly registered on the seismographs in Denmark and Greenland,” seismologist Tine Larsen told the AFP news agency.
“The waves from the earthquake reached the seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm approximately five minutes after the shaking started,” Larsen said of the quake, which hit at 04:17am (01:17 GMT).
“Eight minutes after the earthquake, the shaking reached the east coast of Greenland, propagating further through all of Greenland,” she added.
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Aftershocks from latest 7.6 magnitude quake to hit Kahramanmaras felt in Adana. TRT Haber was filming search and rescue operations when the tremor was felt #TurkiyeQuakes.@TurkishEmbPTA pic.twitter.com/lAOqRIB17U
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 6, 2023
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Drone footage showed rescuers in the Turkish city of Adana searching through the rubble of a collapsed building after a major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria https://t.co/qhP64Hpz5mpic.twitter.com/bKlC0lRGtE
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 6, 2023
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China says willing to offer humanitarian aid to Turkey, Syria
China has said it is willing to provide humanitarian emergency aid to earthquake-struck Turkey and Syria.
China expressed condolences and concern for the loss of life and property, and is in communications with both Turkey and Syria, a spokesperson from China International Development Cooperation Agency said.
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BREAKING: A 3rd #earthquake just hit #Turkey 30 minutes ago, this time 7.5 on the Richter scale.
Drone footage: rescuers in Turkish cities search for earthquake survivors#turkiyeearthquake #earthquakes pic.twitter.com/noMPsP8cq5— Rahul Sisodia (@Sisodia19Rahul) February 6, 2023
Turkey’s lira slips to new record low, stocks tumble
Turkey’s lira hit a new record low and its stock markets tumbled in the wake of the earthquake, adding to pre-existing pressures from a strong dollar, geopolitical risks and inflation.
The lira slipped to 18.85 in early trade before retracing most of its losses. The country’s main equities benchmark dropped as much as 4.6 percent with banks tumbling more than 5 percent before paring some losses with key indexes down about 2.5 percent on Monday.
“The tragic events with southern part of Turkey being hit by a powerful earthquake is source of additional uncertainty ahead of crucial elections that most likely are going to be held in May,” Piotr Matys, senior FX analyst at In Touch Capital Markets, told Reuters news agency.
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Macron offers aid to Turkey, Syria
French President Emmanuel Macron has offered emergency aid to Turkey and Syria.
“We are receiving terrible images from Turkey and Syria following an earthquake of unprecedented force,” Macron, whose relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have often been strained, tweeted.
“France is ready to provide emergency relief to the populations on the ground. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he said.
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Syria’s Baniyas oil refinery operations to be suspended for 48 hours
Syria’s Baniyas oil refinery has decided to suspend operations for 48 hours following multiple earthquakes hitting Turkey-Syria border region, reports Reuters.
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Death toll from #earthquake in NW #Syria now at 221+ with 419+ injured. Difficulty in rescue efforts as hundreds remain trapped under rubble & heavy equipment needed. Number expected to rise as hundreds of families still trapped. pic.twitter.com/Tt433BrzP6
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 6, 2023
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Syria, Iraq report more tremors
Residents in the Iraqi provinces of Dohuk and Mosul and the Kurdish capital Erbil have reported feeling a light tremor, state media reported on Monday, following an earthquake in Syria.
Syrian state media also reported a separate earthquake had hit the capital Damascus, but gave no further details.
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The #earthquake in NW #Syria has claimed 147 lives & injured over 340. The toll may increase as many families are still trapped. Our teams are on the ground searching for survivors & removing the dead from the rubble. pic.twitter.com/vQhYZAiGRM
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 6, 2023
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EU says 10 search and rescue teams mobilised for Turkey earthquake
The EU has said ten search and rescue teams have been mobilised to help the emergency operations in Turkey.
“Ten Urban Search and Rescue teams have been quickly mobilised from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania to support the first responders on the ground,” EU commissioners Josep Borrell and Janez Lenarcic said in a statement.
Italy and Hungary have also offered their rescue teams, the statement said.
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#Syria #Turkey 🇹🇷 : Video widely circulating that reportedly shows building turning to dust in #Aleppo in aftershock of devastating earthquake that’s killed hundreds across region #هزه_ارضيه #زلزال سُورِيَة
Prayer for effected people 🤲🥺#İstanbul#earthquakeinturkey#زلزال pic.twitter.com/jGrpDz0aKh— Zia Ullah Khan (@ZiaUlla78414856) February 6, 2023
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How difficult this morning is… a morning full of sadness and tragedy… What happened in #Syria and #Turkey as a result of the #earthquake is a terrifying thing and a tragic catastrophe..
May Allah have mercy on the dead
Ya Allah reham🤲#İstanbul#Turkey#deprem#Syria#زلزال pic.twitter.com/G6mfVovaCs— Zia Ullah Khan (@ZiaUlla78414856) February 6, 2023
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Russia offers assistance to Turkey, al-Assad government
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered assistance to the Syrian and Turkish governments.
Russia, which is closely allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, maintains a significant military presence in the country and assists in ongoing fighting against opposition groups. Putin also has a strong rapport with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a NATO member which has nevertheless sought to mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“Please accept my deep condolences on the numerous human casualties and large-scale destruction caused by a powerful earthquake in your country,” Putin said in his message to Erdogan on Monday.
Separately, Putin told al-Assad that Russia shared “the sadness and pain of those who lost their loved ones” and said Russia was ready to provide help.
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Turkey: Death toll rises to 912 • 5,385 people injured
LIVE: Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on quakes that struck country’s southern provinces
https://t.co/7MGeg8XUqK— PresserWatch (@PresserWatch) February 6, 2023
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “Our state has taken action with all its institutions starting from the moment of the earthquake, and the governorates have immediately mobilized all their means in their own provinces.”
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That’s Syria!!!#deprem #Turkey #TurkeyEarthquake #earthquake #DEPREMOLDU #Adana #Kahramanmaras #sanliurfa #ACİL #Osmaniye #Hatay #BREAKING #SONDAKIKA #Tsunami #PrayForTurkey #Gaziantep#nurdagi #HAARP #Turkiye #Turquia #Turchia
— Musa Kayrak (@musakayrak) February 6, 2023
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New 7.5 magnitude earthquake reported in southeast Turkey
Turkey’s AFAP emergency authority and the United States Geological Service have reported a new 7.5-magnitude earthquake in southeast Turkey.
The shallow quake hit at 1:24pm (1024 GMT) four kilometres (2.5 miles) south-southeast of the town of Ekinozu.
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Death toll in government-controlled areas of Syria rises to 326
At least 326 people have been killed by the earthquake in government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria, state media has reported.
The official news agency SANA said at least another 1,042 people were injured after the earthquake struck near the southwestern Turkish city of Gaziantep, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Syrian border.
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#BREAKING #TURKIYE #TURQUIA #TURQUIE #TURKEY
🔴TURKIYE :POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE 7.4 HIT 10 CITIES IN SOUTHEASTERN REGION💔#VIDEO SANLIURFA CITY
Buildings continue to collapse due to AFTERSHOCKS #BreakingNews #UltimaHora #Earthquake #Terremoto #Temblor #Gempa #Deprem pic.twitter.com/kgEtacneUJ
— loveworld (@LoveWorld_Peopl) February 6, 2023
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Death toll in Syria rises to at least 560
The death toll across Syria has risen to at least 560 people, according to the government and rescue workers in opposition held areas.
The official news agency SANA, citing the health ministry, said at least 339 people were killed and 1,089 injured in government-controlled areas of the war-torn country. The White Helmets rescue group said at least 221 were killed and 419 injured in opposition-held areas.
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🔴 BREAKİNG NEWS
The image of the final state of the buildings after the earthquake that came from the province of Hatay after the big earthquake that occurred in Turkey. 🙁#Turkey #earthquake #kahramanmaras #deprem pic.twitter.com/W1nZ7Kijjw— Eren ☭🇹🇷 (@Eren50855570) February 6, 2023
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Heartbreaking scene!!!
Calling for help 😭😭💔#Turkey #زلزال #earthquake #Syria #TurkeyEarthquake #turkeyearthquake2023 #syriaearthquake pic.twitter.com/lIBNXwzrpk— Muhammad Muzamil (@MuhammadMzml) February 6, 2023
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In #Kahramanmaras the moment #earthquake rocking #Turkey recorded by security camera of a pharmacy. #deprem #PrayForTurkey pic.twitter.com/6oNPPQHEnY
— JournoTurk (@journoturk) February 6, 2023
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Hospitals in Syria ‘overwhelmed’: Relief organisation
The healthcare system in Syria is “overwhelmed” by the number of people in need of medical attention, especially as some hospitals have been damaged by the quake, Mazen Kiwara, Middle East regional director for the Syrian American Medical Society, told Al Jazeera.
Kiwara said his team had to evacuate a maternity hospital in Afrin and reported at least five deaths, including that of a pregnant woman.
“Right now we have a crisis, in addition to very bad weather conditions and collapsed buildings,” he said.
“The effort should be focused on the humanitarian response, especially in shelter and health to protect the population of more than 1.5 million people in northwest Syria alone.”
Moments of #earthquake in #Turkey.#earthquake #Syria #Iraq #Turkey #Iran#TurkeyEarthquake pic.twitter.com/416FgoYZ2K
— Mirza Ali (@MirzaAli09) February 6, 2023
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Syrian health ministry says more than 200 dead
Some 237 people have been killed and 639 injured in Syria in the powerful earthquake, Assistant Health Minister Ahmed Dhamiriyeh told state television.
The affected part of Syria is divided between government- and opposition-held areas.
In rebel-held northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation as “disastrous”, adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble.
WATCH: Neighborhood in Harem, Syria destroyed by earthquake pic.twitter.com/AAYnqWPu4j
— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) February 6, 2023
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Civilians dig by hand as rescue services overwhelmed in Syria
Civilians are helping rescue teams as they attempt to reach hundreds of people still believed to be trapped under the rubble, Al Jazeera’s Suhaib Al Khalaf has said.
Al Khalaf, reporting from Harem, Northern Syria, added that civil defence teams were overwhelmed by the scale of the destruction as the health sector also struggled to cater to the injured.
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More than 1,700 buildings collapse in Turkey: Presidency
Hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble. Nearly 900 buildings were destroyed in Turkey’s Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras provinces, said Vice President Fuat Otkay.
He placed the total number of collapsed buildings at 1,718.
🇸🇾 : Footage of Shrine of Sayyida Zaynab during the earthquake in Damascus in #Syria pic.twitter.com/i026lTxN0i
— Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) February 6, 2023
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#BREAKING Destruction in Afrin, Syria from the earthquake. Several people are still stuck under the rubble.#BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/xOgpgiislA
— The HbK (@The5HbK) February 6, 2023
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Death toll in Turkey rises to 284 people: Presidency
At least 284 people have died in Turkey, Vice President Fuat Oktay said.
He added that more than 2,300 have been injured and search and rescue operations are ongoing in several major cities.
PHOTOS: Death toll in Turkey rises to 284 people: Presidency
At least 284 people have died in Turkey, Vice President Fuat Oktay has said, adding that more than 2,300 people have been injured and that search and rescue operations are ongoing in several major cities. pic.twitter.com/xuQkaiEHiD
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 6, 2023
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Death toll likely to keep rising: Expert
Martin Mai, professor of geophysics at King Abdullah University, has told Al Jazeera the death toll from “one of the largest earthquakes experienced [in the region] for hundreds of years” is likely to keep rising over the coming days.
“In the past, these earthquakes in Turkey have led to about 13,000 fatalities owing to the style of building construction. The sheer size of this event will have a profound economic impact as well,” Mai said.