PRAYING FOR MIRACLES
»»Fears Turkey-syria toll could hit 10,000 »»Ireland gives €2m to help aid agencies
INTERNATIONAL search and rescue teams were last night racing to Turkey and Syria to help look for survivors of the earthquake, amid fears the death toll could hit 10,000.
Officials said more than 3,500 people have so far died and hundreds more are buried beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings in freezing temperatures and with the risk of aftershocks.
Around 1,000 rescuers from across the globe will join local teams trying to pull victims from the destruction.
Foreign Affairs Minister and Tanaiste Micheal Martin announced €2million in emergency assistance will be given by Ireland.
The funds will be allocated to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies along with the United Nations Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund.
He said: ‘‘The people of Ireland have been shocked by the loss of life in Turkey and Syria as a result of the devastating earthquakes this morning.
“Thousands have already lost their lives and it is feared the numbers will only increase in the days ahead.
‘‘The people of Northwest Syria already face enormous challenges as a result of conflict and displacement.
“Ireland has consistently supported the Syria refugee response over many years, contributing €23 million annually in support of Syrian refugees and host countries across the region. These communities in NW Syria need our support now more than ever.”
Meanwhile, President Michael D Higgins has offered his solidarity to the Turkish and Syrian people. He said: “All of our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones and those have
been injured, and we send our support to those emergency services who continue with the work of rescuing and protection of those impacted by these terrible tragedies.”
Geological experts warned the death toll could reach 10,000. As rescuers in the Turkish city of Adana tried to reach a victim buried under the rubble he could be heard saying: “I don’t have the strength any more.” It is not known if he survived. Legislator of Turkey’s Hatay province Huseyin Yayman said: “Many are trapped. Many buildings are damaged. People are on the streets. It’s raining, it’s winter.”
The quake struck at 4.30am yesterday, destroying buildings from Syria’s war-torn Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 200 miles north-east. Neighbourhoods were wiped out in seconds.
The initial 7.8 magnitude horror was followed by aftershocks, one at 7.7. It ripped through the Middle East, waking people in Beirut, Cairo and Damascus. It was felt as far away as Greenland.
In Syria, many victims lived in homes and towns already shattered by 11 years of civil war. Four million people displaced from other parts of the country are in the earthquake zone.
Rescue efforts have been hampered because of the risk of terrorism. At rebel-held Azmarin the bodies of several children were brought to a hospital. Aleppo’s Syrian American Medical Society site manager Dr Osama Sallom said of the quake: “I thought I was going to die.
“The most difficult thing is remembering what has happened over the last 11 years, some colleagues lost relatives before.”