Death toll in the Turkey -Syria Earthquake has exceeded 11,000 according to Cable News Network, (CNN), as rescuers continue to dig into the debris in search of lucky survivors.
On Monday, reports have it that there were sudden tremors of an earthquake that lasted for a minute destroying more than 6,000 buildings in Turkey alone and killing more than 5,000 sleeping residents.
In Turkey, eight provinces have been affected spreading ripples across the border into war-torn north-western Syria.
Since the incident, rescue teams have been defying the freezing weather to rescue some other people who might still be alive but trapped in the debris.
Speaking of the cause of the quake, The US Geological Survey, which tracks seismic activity around the world, reports that the earthquake struck at a depth of 17.9km where the Anatolia, Arabia, and Africa tectonic plates meet.
Syria was said to have been disadvantaged in the tragedy as many of the buildings have become weak due to the 12 years of bombardment in a drawn-out civil war.
Turkish president on Wednesday reacted during his visit to the tragic scene, saying the number of dead has risen to 8,574 with nearly 50,000 injured while in Syria, the officials reports reveal that at least, 2,530 people have died.
Meanwhile, aid workers and rescue teams have also said there is a high possibility of recording more deaths bearing in mind that many are still trapped in the debris with the freezing weather condition hampering rescue efforts.
However, despite the tragedy, a handful of successes have been recorded with few persons rescued which include; a newborn baby whose mother had died on the spot,
Two little girls, Mariam and Ilaaf
wedged between concrete in the remains of their home in Besnaya-Bseineh, Northern Syria,
An eight-year-old boy was rescued and reunited with his mother, a Nigerian couple with their children who took to their heels at the start of the tremor.
The Syrian government on Wednesday attested to the support of International leaders like China, UAE, India, Egypt, Algeria, Armenia, Libya, Iraq, and Jordan who pledged to send help in terms of money and planes to bring in relief materials.
US President, Joe Biden, in a statement has also shared his condolence to those who have “lost precious loved ones”, the injured, homes and businesses noting that immediate help in form of relief is being ordered to be sent to Turkey
“At my direction, senior American officials reached, out immediately to their Turkish counterparts to coordinate any needed assistance.”
It was said that, tremors from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in southern Turkey could be felt as far as Israel and Lebanon, hundreds of kilometers away.
Follow us for more stories…
Author
