The death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has now exceeded 16,000. Rescue agency AFAD reported that 12,873 people lost their lives in Turkey, according to the latest figures.
No new figures for Syria have been released. At least 3,480 people have died in Syria, according to the latest estimates by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
People are still being pulled from the rubble alive. For example, in Gaziantep, Turkey, a 61-year-old man who had been trapped under rubble for about 65 hours was rescued, according to the news of the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
A 12-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy and a young girl were also rescued in Kahramanmaraş. It’s unclear how they happened, but all three were hospitalized. The woman, who was 9 months pregnant, gave birth 70 hours later.
Rescuers pulled a baby out of the rubble in Hatay, Turkey:
Emergency aid to Syria is progressing slowly as several border crossings with Turkey have been closed. All humanitarian aid to Syria must pass through a single border crossing between Turkey and the rebel-held Syrian territory. However, this road is broken on the Syrian side of the border. Therefore, the Turkish government is currently working to open two more border crossings.
growing criticism
Meanwhile, criticism of the government’s approach to earthquakes is increasing in Turkey. Many people believe that the government is complicit in the massive damage in the country, as homes are not built enough to make them earthquake resistant.
Some Turks also believe that the government did not provide any assistance. When government representatives visited the crash site, there were already several protests.
Source: NOS
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
