Quake toll over 20,000
Many survivors in Turkey & Syria homeless, struggling with cold
The death toll in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria passed 20,000 on Thursday as many survivors remained displaced and grappling with harsh winter conditions.
Those who couldn’t find shelter in tents or other designated areas have been forced to sleep outdoors since Monday morning’s massive quake, which toppled thousands of buildings in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.
“Especially in this cold, it is not possible to live here,” said Ahmet Tokgoz, a survivor in Antakya, Turkey. “People are warming up around campfires, but campfires can only warm you up so much . ... If people haven’t died from being stuck under the rubble, they’ll die from the cold.”
More than 17,000 of the deaths were reported in Turkey and more 3,300 fatalities occurred in Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is visiting badly hit areas, has drawn criticism for what some claimed to be a slow emergency response. On
Wednesday, he admitted there were issues with the initial response but pushed back on the criticism and said efforts had improved.
“It is not possible to be prepared for such a disaster,” Erdogan said after touring Hatay. “We will not leave any of our citizens uncared for.”
Rescue efforts have been complicated by the winter conditions and damaged roads. A 7.5-magnitude aftershock struck several hours after the first quake, about 60 miles away.
Rescueres continued to look for survivors beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings on Thursday. Other officials turned their focus to bringing down buildings at risk of collapsing.
“It’s now a race against time,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this week. “Every minute, every hour that passes, the chances of finding survivors alive diminishes.
“Continued aftershocks, severe winter conditions, damage to roads, power supplies, communications and other infrastructure continue to hamper access and other search and rescue efforts.”