The world’s deadliest earthquake in more than a decade has claimed more than 15,000 lives in Turkey and Syria. The toll is feared to rise further in the coming days.
At least 12,391 people have been killed in Turkey with 62,914 injured, and in northern Syria death toll climbed to 2,992.
Thousands of buildings have collapsed across a wide region.
In both countries, the rescuers are racing to save survivors trapped under debris in freezing weather.
Officials and medics said 12,391 people died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria from Monday’s powerful earthquakes, bringing the confirmed total to 15,383.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Turkey has been recorded as the worst inland shallow earthquake since 2000, according to a prominent seismologist. Shinji Toda said that Turkey suffered the worst “inland shallow earthquake” this century.
“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.
Turkey has taken action with all its institutions and resources since Monday’s deadly earthquakes in its south eastern provinces, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“We have mobilised all our resources. The state is working with municipalities, especially AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency), with all its means,” Erdogan said.
President Erdogan announces new residences will be built within 1 year in 10 provinces affected by earthquakes.
