More than 21,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured after amagnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, officials said.
Rescue workers are racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings. Some heart-warming successes were seen in Turkey, but an aid group said hope is fading in northwest Syria.
Survivors, many of whom are homeless, could face “a secondary disaster” as cold and snow lead to “worsening and horrific conditions,” the World Health Organization said Thursday.
How you can help: Donate to victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria here.
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Our live coverage of the quake and rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria has moved here.
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In Pictures: Here's an aerial view of the earthquake's destruction in Turkey
From CNN Digital’s Photo Team
A satellite image shows grain silos destroyed after an earthquake in Kirikhan, Turkey, on February 9.
(Maxar Technologies/Reuters)
A satellite image shows grain silos destroyed after an earthquake near Nurdağı, Turkey, on February 9.
(MaxarTechnologies)
A satellite image shows buildings damaged after an earthquake in Antakya, Turkey.
(MaxarTechnologies)
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"Tens of thousands of families are currently homeless all over northwest Syria," White Helmets volunteer says
From CNN's Ruba Alhenawi
People walk past damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake in the rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria, on February 9.
(Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)
Hundreds of thousands of people in Syria have been left homeless in the middle of winter following Monday’s deadly earthquakes. Across northwestern Syria — where temperatures are below freezing — many people are staying in makeshift shelters, mosques and in the ruins of destroyed buildings.
Mousa Zidane, a volunteer with the “White Helmets,” officially known as Syria Civil Defense, told CNN on Thursday that in the aftermath of the quakes, “tens of thousands of families are currently homeless all over northwest Syria.”
Zidane said the cold weather is adding to the catastrophe, as rescue teams struggle to extract people from under the rubble.
People need their homes back and their dead “pulled out and buried,” Zidane added.
When asked about diggers, Zidane said they were not initially available, but a limited number are now working to clear the debris. “Not enough to cover the whole area. We need more,” he said.
Zidane said there is limited access to aid that doesn’t cover people’s needs in northwest Syria, much of which is controlled by anti-government rebels amid a humanitarian crisis resulting from Syria’s more than decade-long civil war.
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Some rescues reported days after quake rocked parts of Syria and Turkey – but death toll is steadily climbing
From CNN staff
Rescue workers look for survivors amid the rubble of a building in Jindayris, Syria on February 9.
(Mohammed Al-Rifai/AFP/Getty Images)
More than 21,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria after earthquakes swept through the region Monday. Rescue workers are now racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings in freezing winter conditions.
At least 78,124 people were injured across both countries, according to authorities.
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The natural disaster is one of the deadliest earthquakes in two decades.
Here are the latest developments:
Survivors still being rescued days later in Turkey: A mother and her 6-year-old daughter were rescued from a collapsed house in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş Thursday, 68 hours after the massive tremor. German aid organization @fire, working alongside British aid organization SARAID, said that the mother and child were located in the rubble of the collapsed building around 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday. A family of three, including two brothers and their mother, were rescued in the 78th hour in Pazarcik in Kahramanmaras province. And in Hatay province, a 10-year-old girl was found alive in the 90th hour after the quake. The first thing she asked for after her rescue was milk, officials said in a statement. However, the Syria Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, warned that the hope of finding survivors is now fading inside Syria.
Nations around the world working to get aid to Syria: France on Thursday pledged to give 12 million euros ($12.92 million) to Syrians impacted by the quake, the foreign ministry said. The aid will be channeled through the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations “working directly with affected populations in all of the areas struck by the earthquake,” it said. Many Western nations have refused to send aid directly to the Syrian regime, which is under sanctions. The United Kingdom pledged an additional 3 million pounds ($3.64 million) in funding to the White Helmets to support rescue and emergency relief operations in northwest Syria. Britain has so far given a total of 3.8 million pounds ($4.62 million) to the White Helmets, a volunteer organization of humanitarian responders. The United States will provide $85 million for humanitarian assistance in Turkey and Syria.
UN working to open more pathways to deliver aid to Syria: A UN aid convoy crossed from Turkey into northwestern Syria on Thursday for the first time since the earthquake hit. The six trucks carrying shelter items and Non-Food Items (NFI) drove through the Bab Al Hawa border crossing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he is open to the idea of delivering aid via additional border crossings, other than the Bab al-Hawa, which is the only humanitarian aid corridor approved by the United Nations between Turkey and rebel-held areas of northern Syria.
How you can help: Donate to victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria here.
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The hope of finding survivors alive is fading, Syrian volunteer organization says
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
Members of the Syria Civil Defense work to rescue a trapped boy under a destroyed building in the city of Jandairis on February 8.
(Anas Alkharboutli/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)
Syria Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, said they have been working nonstop for more than 90 hours “in very difficult circumstances,” to rescue people trapped under rubble following the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria Monday.
The volunteer organization said they would continue rescue operations in the affected areas of opposition-controlled northern Syria into Friday. However, the organization tweeted a warning that the hope of finding survivors is now “fading.”
The impacted areas include the countryside of Aleppo in northern Syria and the countryside of Idlib in northeastern Syria.
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South Korea’s president offers condolence at the Turkish embassy, says more rescue teams are coming
From CNN's Gawon Bae in South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during an interview at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on January 10.
(Lee Jin-man/AP)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Turkish embassy in Seoul on Thursday to offer his condolences to the victims of the devastating earthquake that left thousands dead in Turkey and Syria.
“South Korea will do its best to help the people of Turkey to overcome the frustration and sorrow,” Yoon said to the Turkish ambassador, according to the president’s spokesperson Lee Do-woon.
Yoon said in addition to the South Korean rescue team that was dispatched to Turkey to aid in the rescue efforts, additional personnel would be sent later for rotation purposes, Lee said.
Turkish Ambassador Murat Tamer thanked South Korea for helping Turkey during difficult times and conveyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s thanks and regards to Yoon.
The presidential office, including Yoon, gathered and sent 32,610,000 KRW ($25,880) of disaster relief to the Korean National Red Cross for Turkey and Syria, according to the office.
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Ukrainian rescuers arrive in Turkey to help after deadly earthquakes
From CNN’s Philip Wang
A team of rescuers from the Ukrainian State Emergency Service does a search and rescue operation in Antakya, Turkey on February 9.
(State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
A team of rescuers from the Ukrainian State Emergency Service has begun its search and rescue operations in Antakya, Turkey, after arriving in the city on Thursday, according to the agency’s Facebook page.
Images show that the rescuers have set up a tent camp and have started looking for survivors under the rubble in designated areas in Hatay Province.
This week: The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers announced Tuesday the country planned to send 87 emergency rescue staff to Turkey to assist with relief efforts.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, people placed flowers and candles at the Turkish Embassy to pay respects to the victims of the earthquake.
CNN’s Kostan Nechyporenko and Lauren Kent contributed reporting to this post.
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Here's how to help victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
From CNN staff
More than 21,000 people are dead and tens of thousands are injured after a massive earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday.
The magnitude 7.8 quake was one of the strongest to strike the area in more than a century. Amid severe aftershocks, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency called for international help.
Many other organizations are also on the ground responding. You can help by clicking here.
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10-year-old Turkish girl found alive under rubble in 90th hour since the earthquake
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce and Mohammed Tawfeeq
A 10-year-old girl was found alive in the 90th hour since Turkey’s earthquake, according to a statement from the Antalya Metropolitan Fire Department on Thursday. The first thing she asked for after her rescue was milk, the statement said.
Hilal Sağlam was trapped underneath the rubble of a building located in the Hatay province. The rescue team “heard the sound from under the rubble” and were able to rescue Sağlam “as a result of a meticulous 7-hour work in the wreckage,” the statement added,
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More than 21,000 people died in the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, officials say
From CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Jonny Hallam
A woman reacts as people bury victims of the deadly earthquake in a cemetery in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 9.
(Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
The death toll following the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has climbed to at least 21,051, according to authorities.
In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 17,674, and the number of injured is 72,879, Vice President Fuat Oktay said Thursday.
In Syria, at least 3,377 people were killed, including 2,030 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defense group — and 1,347 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media.
The number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,245 —2,295 in government-controlled and 2,950 in the rebel-held area.
At least 78,124 people in Syria and Turkey were injured following the quakes, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.
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Residents of Gaziantep face uncertain future after homes destroyed
From Louai Al-Absi in Gaziantep
After a devastating earthquake upended the lives of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria, many have expressed uncertainty about what’s next for them.
In the city of Gaziantep, in the southeast of Turkey, many people – whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged – have found refuge at a camp located in a public park in the city center.
Here are some of their stories:
Sinan Demir, a 45-year-old blacksmith from Gaziantep, said his neighborhood was destroyed after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region. He had to go to a basketball club for shelter for three days before he came to the park. Demir is married and has four children. His elderly father lives with them.
He said he does not know when he will leave the camp because his house needs repair, and he called on the Turkish government to expedite the repair of damaged homes.
Mustafa Oso, a 35-year-old Syrian, came to Turkey several years ago and lives in Gaziantep. Before the earthquake, he lived with his family and brothers, but when the second quake took place on Tuesday, the building next to their home was demolished and his house became uninhabitable.
Oso said he wants to eventually move to Europe.
Mehmat Aslan, 81, lives alone after his wife died and his children traveled to Germany. The earthquake destroyed his home, and he is now staying in a cafeteria.
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New York family killed in building collapse in Turkey earthquake
From CNN’s David Williams and Gloria Pazmino
A New York family visiting relatives in Turkey was among the thousands of people killed in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria Monday.
Burak Firik, a former board member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations New York Chapter (CAIR-NY), was killed along with his wife Kimberly and their sons Hamza, 2, and Bilal, 1, CAIR-NY Legal Director Ahmed M. Mohamed told CNN.
The family was in an apartment building located in the Kahramanmaraş region of Turkey — the epicenter of Monday’s deadly earthquake, according to Mohamed. The apartment building collapsed during the quake.
Mohamed said he’d known Firik since 2019 and last talked to him a few months ago before he went to Turkey to be with his father, who was having open-heart surgery.
Mohamed said Firik was interested in computers and technology, studied the markets and enjoyed reading – he’d made it a goal to read a book every day. Mohamed added that Firik “was a family man” who loved his family.
He said he’s been in touch with Kimberly’s family.
“They’re obviously devastated and heartbroken,” Mohamed said. “I think they’re a very close-knit family. They care deeply for each other.”
He said it was very sad that the family died together.
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Days after the quake, rescue teams still finding survivors, including a young girl
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam, Jennifer Z. Deaton and Isil Sariyuce
Rescues continue across the 10 provinces of Turkey impacted by Monday’s deadly earthquake.
Three girls between the ages of 5 and 10 were found alive under the debris during a search-and-rescue operation in Kahramanmaras on Thursday, according to CNN’s sister network CNN Turk.
One of the girls was pulled from beneath the rubble in the 89th hour since the earthquake struck, CNN Turk reported.
The girl only appeared to have light scratches, the CNN Turk reporter said, describing the operation as a “miracle rescue operation.”
The other two girls are in communication with the search-and-rescue team but are still trapped, as efforts to pull them free continue, according to CNN Turk.
In Adiyaman, a 17-year-old girl, Gulsum Yesilkaya, was saved Thursday after a 27-hour rescue operation, according to CNN Turk. She was taken directly to the ambulance, CNN Turk reported.
Yigit Akar, 23, was also rescued on Thursday, according to Turkey state news Anadolu agency. He was trapped underneath the rubble of a building in Gaziantep’s Islahiye district in the Camlica neighborhood, Anadolu reported.
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Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquake climbs to over 20,700
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam and Mohammed Tawfeeq
People wait for news of their loved ones, believed to be trapped under collapsed building, in Hatay, Turkey on February 9.
(Burak Kara/Getty Images)
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 20,783, according to authorities.
In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 17,406 with 70,347 others reported injured on Thursday, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.
The total number of deaths in Syria climbed to 3,377, including 2,030 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defense group. An additional 1,347 deaths were reported in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media.
The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,245, with 2,295 in government-controlled areas and 2,950 in rebel-held areas.
At least 75,592 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey overall, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.
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US providing $85 million for humanitarian aid to those affected by quake in Turkey and Syria
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The United States will provide $85 million for humanitarian assistance to those impacted by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
“This new funding is supporting USAID’s humanitarian partners to deliver urgently-needed aid for millions of people in Türkiye and in Syria,” the US Agency for International Development said in a press release Thursday.
The aid includes food and shelter for refugees and those who’ve been displaced, as well as winter supplies to help people in the bitterly cold temperatures, trauma support, clean drinking water and sanitation assistance.
USAID has deployed a disaster assistance response team, which is made up of 200 people and 12 dogs, and is operating out of the cities of Adiyaman, Adana and Ankara.
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Monday's earthquake was one of the deadliest in 2 decades
With the death toll in Turkey and Syria surpassing 20,000, the earthquake has now marked a grim milestone — it’s in the top 10 of deadliest quakes over the past 20 years.
A number of factors have contributed to making this earthquake so lethal. One of them is the time of day it occurred. With the quake hitting early in the morning, many people were in their beds when it happened, and are now trapped under the rubble of their homes.
Additionally, with a cold and wet weather system moving through the region, poor conditions have made reaching affected areas trickier, and rescue and recovery efforts on both sides of the border significantly more challenging once teams have arrived.
The 7.8 magnitude quake earlier this week struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
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Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquake surpasses 20,000
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam, Isil Sariyuce, Celine Alkhaldi and Mostafa Salem
A man, center, reacts after rescue team members removed the dead body of his father in Elbistan.
(Francisco Seco/AP)
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 20,451, according to authorities.
In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 17,134 with 70,347 others reported injured on Thursday, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).
The total number of deaths in Syria climbs to at least 3,317 — including 1,970 in rebel-held areas in the northwest according to the White Helmets civil defense group, and 1,347 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria — according to Syrian state media.
The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,245, with 2,295 in government-controlled and 2,950 in the rebel-held areas.
At least 75,592 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.
Members of search-and-rescue teams work at the site of a collapsed building in Hatay on February 9.
(Kemal Aslan/Reuters)
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UK pledges additional $3.64 million in funding to White Helmets for search and rescue efforts in Syria
From CNN's Lauren Kent
The United Kingdom pledged an additional 3 million pounds ($3.64 million) in funding to the White Helmets to support rescue and emergency relief operations in northwest Syria, according to a statement on Thursday.
Britain has so far given a total of 3.8 million pounds ($4.62 million) to the White Helmets in the wake of the earthquake.
About the White Helmets: The Syria Civil Defence, known around the world as the White Helmets, is a volunteer organization of humanitarian responders operating in parts of Syria and Turkey amid the conflict in Syria. The delivery of urgent supplies to quake-hit areas of northern Syria has been complicated by a long-running civil war between opposition forces and the Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of killing his own people.
The UK funding will support projects such as “assessing building safety, reopening roads and reconnecting utilities,” the foreign office said.
“The White Helmets are playing a critical and life-saving role in Syria in the most desperate circumstances following the earthquakes,” Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, British Minister of State for the Middle East said in the statement. “Our collective priority now is to ensure life-saving assistance is given to those most in need. The White Helmets are best placed to deliver this in North West Syria.”
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UN chief "very happy" about possibility of delivering aid through non-UN approved Turkey-Syria crossings
From CNN’s Richard Roth in New York and Jessie Gretener in London
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he is open to the idea of delivering aid to Syria via additional border crossings, other than the Bab al-Hawa crossing — the only humanitarian aid corridor approved by the United Nations between Turkey and rebel-held areas of northern Syria.
“I would be of course very happy if the Security Council could reach a consensus to allow for more crossings to be used, as we need also to increase our capacity to deliver on crossline operations into Idlib from Damascus,” Guterres said. “Many non-UN relief agencies are already delivering through other crossings.”
On Tuesday, the UN said the Bab al-Hawa crossing was “actually intact,” but the road leading to the crossing had been damaged by Monday’s earthquake, hampering relief efforts.
The first United Nations convoy, comprised of six trucks, crossed into Northern Syria via the Bab al-Hawa crossing on Thursday, according to Guterres. He said the “United Nations has done its best to race to respond,” adding that “more help is on the way, but much more, much more is needed.”
Guterres said the UN would launch a Flash Appeal for donor support for Syria early next week. He added that it has already released $25 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Fund for Syria, and UN agencies and international and national NGOs are assessing their initial funding requirements over the next three months.
“These resources will be used by the humanitarian community for critical aid: shelter, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, education, protection and psychosocial support services,” Guterres explained.
Guterres also said that Martin Griffiths, the United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, is already in Turkey to assess areas affected by the earthquake. Griffiths will also visit Gaziantep, Aleppo, and Damascus to assess aid needs.
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Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquakes nears 20,000
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam, Celine Alkhaldi and Mostafa Salem
Bodies of earthquake victims are seen outside a hospital in Elbistan, Turkey, on Thursday.
(Francisco Seco/AP)
The death toll from the devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 19,863, according to authorities.
In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 16,546, with 66,132 others reported injured, according to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.
The total number of deaths in Syria climbs to at least 3,317, including 1,970 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defense group. Another 1,347 deaths have been reported in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media.
The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,245 (2,295 in government-controlled and 2,950 in rebel-held areas).
At least 71,377 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.
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Turkey closes universities until further notice
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce and Hande Atay Alam
Universities in Turkey will not open until further notice due to the earthquake that struck 10 provinces, according to a statement from Turkey’s Higher Education Council.
It would be difficult for students from earthquake-stricken regions who are attending schools in other regions to focus on their studies, the statement said, as they have relatives that have been directly affected by the disaster or are participating in search and rescue activities.
Turkey’s Education Minister Mahmut Ozer also announced that schools nationwide will be closed until Feb. 20
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Death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria climbs to more than 19,700
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam and Celine Alkhaldi
The destruction in Hatay, Turkey, is seen from above on Thursday.
(IHA via AP)
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 19,738, according to authorities.
In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 16,546, with 66,132 others reported injured, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
The total number of deaths in Syria climbed to at least 3,192 — including 1,930 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defense group — and 1,262 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media.
The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,158, with 2,258 in government-controlled and 2,900 in the rebel-held areas.
At least 71,290 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.
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France pledges nearly $13 million in emergency aid to Syrian people impacted by earthquake
From CNN's Dalal Mawad in Paris
Syrian soldiers look while rescuers use heavy machinery to sift through the rubble of a collapsed building in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, searching for victims and survivors after the earthquake on February 9.
(-/AFP/Getty Images)
France on Thursday pledged to give 12 million euros ($12.92 million) to Syrians impacted by the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey on Monday, according to a foreign ministry statement.
The aid will be channeled through the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations “working directly with affected populations in all of the areas struck by the earthquake,” the statement said.
The pledge would include 5 million euros ($5.38 million) to the United Nations and another 5 million euros for French and international nongovernmental organizations “working on emergency responses in the health, shelter, water, hygiene and sanitation sectors.”
The foreign ministry said the remaining 2 million euros are “being considered” for food aid.
Some context: Many Western nations have refused to send aid directly to the Syrian regime, which is under sanctions.
A United Nations aid convoy crossed from Turkey into northwestern Syria on Thursday for the first time since the earthquake hit. The convoy, made up of six trucks carrying shelter items and Non-Food Items (NFI), crossed through the Bab Al Hawa border crossing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
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21-year-old rescued from rubble in Turkey after more than 3 days
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce and Hande Atay Alam
Fuat Camber is helped by rescuers after being pulled from the rubble.
(Antalya Fire Department)
A 21-year-old man was rescued alive from a collapsed building in Hatay Thursday, 84 hours after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria early Monday.
Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department said in a statement that Fuat Camber was taken directly to a hospital after he was pulled from the rubble.
The number of people rescued by Antalya Metropolitan Firefighters in Hatay’s General Sukru Kanatli district has reached six today, its statement said.
Camber is pulled from the rubble.
(Antalya Fire Department)
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Mom and 6-year-old child rescued from collapsed building in hard-hit Turkish city
From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin
A mother and her 6-year-old daughter were rescued alive from a collapsed house in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş Thursday, 68 hours after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.
German aid organization @fire, working alongside British aid organization SARAID, said in a statement that the mother and child were located in the rubble of the collapsed building around 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
The rescue mission was “a race against time,” @fire added, noting that the two were “in danger of freezing to death” amid sub-zero temperatures.
The pair was rescued just after midnight on Thursday, according to the aid organization.
Watch video of the rescue:
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Hundreds of bodies were delivered across Turkey-Syrian border before a UN convoy of aid arrived on Thursday
From CNN's Raja Razek, Rhea Mogul and Teele Rebane
Relatives surround a truck carrying bodies of Syrians killed in an earthquake in Turkey, upon their arrival by trucks through the border crossing of Bab al-Hawa on February 7.
(Muhammad Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images)
A United Nations aid convoy, made up of six trucks carrying shelter items and Non Food Items (NFI), crossed from Turkey into northwest Syria Thursday through the Bab Al Hawa crossing — the only humanitarian aid corridor between Turkey and rebel-held areas of northern Syria.
The delivery ended a three-day period during which no aid arrived – just 300 bodies, according to the administration that controls the only access point between the two countries.
A top aid official told CNN earlier that efforts to help people in quake-stricken regions of Syria have been “incredibly difficult,” because passage entries along the border were destroyed due to the disaster.
The situation in Syria is starkly different to Turkey, where 70 countries and 14 international organizations have promptly offered teams of rescuers, donations and aid.
The delivery of urgent supplies to quake-hit areas of northern Syria has been complicated by a long-running civil war between opposition forces and the Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of killing his own people. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad says any aid it receives must go through the capital Damascus.
That leaves rebel-held areas reliant on aid groups including the UN, where millions were already suffering from the effects of extreme poverty and a cholera outbreak when the quake hit.
Meanwhile, “Syrians don’t know where their next meal comes from. When we say meal, it’s not about vegetables, not about meat… it’s about simple bread,” said Moutaz Adham, Oxfam’s country director for Syria.
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A family of 3 was rescued in Turkey 78 hours after the powerful earthquake
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam and Amir Ahmed
A boy is carried from the rubble in a blanket 78 hours after the earthquake hit in Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
(Kanal D via CNN Turk)
A family of three, including two brothers and their mother, were rescued alive in the 78th hour after the earthquake that struck Turkey on Monday.
Live images from Kanal D, which is owned by CNN’s partner network CNN Turk, showed rescue officials running toward the rubble to rescue a child in Pazarcik, Kahramanmaras.
A few minutes later, the rescue team was seen carrying a boy with a large blanket.
The mother of the two boys, 36-year-old Hatice İğde, was rescued after the boys were pulled from the rubble. The boys’ names are Mehmet Naim İğde and Melih Igde, according to Kanal D.
Rescue personnel told Kanal D reporter that they started the rescue operation at 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday night and they heard a voice at 11 p.m. local time so they continued working all night.
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Turkey's death toll climbs to at least 16,710, Erdogan says
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
Women mourn for a relative at a cemetery for victims of the deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 9.
(Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country’s death toll from Monday’s earthquake rose to at least 16,710.
Speaking at a presser in Osmaniye, Turkey, he also said that there were 64,194 others reported to be injured.
Erdogan also said 6,444 buildings collapsed in the earthquake.
CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh reports the latest on the rescue efforts:
Monday's earthquake is already one of the deadliest in the past two decades. Here's why
From CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Christian Edwards and Krystina Shveda
More than 17,500 people have died in Turkey and Syria after a huge earthquake swept through the region Monday. Rescue workers are now racing to save survivors from the rubble of collapsed infrastructure in freezing winter conditions.
The 7.8 magnitude quake earlier this week struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
A number of factors have contributed to making this earthquake so lethal. One of those is the time of day it occurred. With the quake hitting early in the morning, many people were in their beds when it happened, and were trapped under the debris of their homes.
In quake-stricken areas of northwest Syria, the region was already struggling to rebuild buildings that were severely damaged by continual aerial bombardment during the years-long civil war.
Additionally, with a cold and wet weather system moving through the region, poor conditions have made reaching affected areas trickier, and rescue and recovery efforts on both sides of the border significantly more challenging. Temperatures have been bitterly low, regularly plummeting several degrees below zero.
With scattered showers and snow in the region set to continue, the elements are putting those trapped underneath the rubble at risk of hypothermia. These survivors have already gone days without food and water.
CNN’s Dalya Al Masri and Celine Alkhaldi contributed reporting.
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Death toll across Turkey and Syria tops 17,500
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam and Celine Alkhaldi
Rescuers walk near a damaged building in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on Thursday.
(Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 17,543, according to authorities.
In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 14,351 with 63,794 others reported injured, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said Thursday.
The total number of deaths in Syria climbs to 3,192, including 1,930 in rebel-held areas in the northwest according to the ‘White Helmets’ civil defense group, and 1,262 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media.
The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,158 – 2,258 in government-controlled and 2,900 in the rebel-held area.
At least 68,952 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets, and Syrian state media.
This post has been updated with the latest figures.
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Turkey receives offers of quake aid from nearly 100 countries
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
Humanitarian aid distribution and search and rescue work continues operations in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 9.
(Evrim Aydin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Some 95 nations and 16 international organizations have pledged aid to Turkey following this week’s devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday.
At the moment, 6,479 rescue personnel from 56 countries are in the field, Cavusoglu added during a news conference in the capital of Ankara.
“Teams from 19 more countries will be in our country within 24 hours,” he commented.
Members of a Japanese disaster relief team conduct a search and rescue operation in Kahramanmaras on February 9.
(Kyodo News/Getty Images)
Some context: Global aid has poured into Turkey following Monday’s disaster, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people and injured tens of thousands more in the country and neighboring Syria.
The situation is more complex in Syria. Earlier today, a United Nations aid convoy crossed from Turkey into northwest Syria for the first time since the quake, as the race to get international help into the country is hampered by a years-long political conflict and an acute humanitarian crisis.
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Firefighters battle blaze at Turkey's Iskenderun port
From CNN's Jomana Karadsheh in Iskenderun, Turkey
A firefighting plane drops water on February 9 to extinguish a major fire that broke out at the Iskenderun port in Turkey.
(Sezgin Pancar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Firefighters are working to extinguish a fire at Turkey’s Iskenderun port, according to a CNN team on the ground Thursday.
Heavy smoke continues to rise from the port as firefighters and at least two firefighting aircraft attempt to put out the flames.
A plane drops water over the the Iskenderun port in the aftermath of an earthquake on Wednesday.
(Serday Ozsoy/Depo Photos/Reuters)
A rainbow appears as firetrucks work to extinguish a major fire that broke out at the Iskenderun port.
(Sezgin Pancar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Fire trucks continue to extinguish flames at Iskenderun port on Thursday.
(Sezgin Pancar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The southern Turkish port remained closed following heavy damage from Monday’s earthquake and the subsequent fire which broke out among containers at the terminal.
Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Wednesday that efforts fight the blaze were ongoing.
“Our teams are working continuously at the Iskenderun Port to cool down the fire from air and land,” the ministry tweeted.
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Temperatures forecast to remain below normal for Turkey’s earthquake zone through the weekend
From CNN's Monica Garrett
People sit near tents as they spend the night at a park on February 9, in Hatay, Turkey.
(Burak Kara/Getty Images)
Some of the coldest temperatures felt since the earthquake struck southern Turkey occurred Thursday morning, as a freezing weather blast envelopes disaster-stricken regions while rescue workers in Turkey and Syria search for survivors.
Low temperatures ranged in provinces from -2°C or degrees Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit) in Kilis, to -4°C in Gaziantep, to -6°C in Malatya Thursday morning. Temperatures have since warmed above freezing with the heating of the sun during the day, but will remain around 5°C below average for this time of year.
Mostly clear skies will allow for the sun to warm the area during the day, but it will also allow for faster cooling at night, as cloud cover acts as a blanket to trap heat from escaping the atmosphere.
Forecast temperatures through the weekend:
Elbistan: Highs just below freezing, lows around -14°C (7°F)
Malatya: Highs near freezing, lows around -10°C
Kahramanmaras: Highs 5°C to 7°C, lows -4°C to -2°C
Gaziantep: Highs 6°C to 8°C, lows -3°C to -2°C
Kilis: Highs 7°C to 9°C, lows at or just below freezing
Hatay: Highs around 10°C, lows at or just below freezing
This cooler than normal spell in February comes on the heels of what has been a warm winter for the region. Turkey just saw its warmest December on record and fourth warmest January on record.
Northern Syria is facing similar colder than normal conditions like Turkey. The city of Aleppo is forecast to have highs around 10°C and lows of -3°C to -2°C through this weekend. Aleppo averages highs of 12.5°C and lows of 2.5°C in February.
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The first UN aid convoy since the earthquake has now crossed into Syria
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi
A United Nations aid convoy enters northwest Syria from Turkey through the Bab al Hawa crossing on February 9.
(Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images)
A United Nations aid convoy crossed from Turkey into northwest Syria Thursday for the first time since Monday’s earthquake in the race to get international help into a region beset by years of conflict and an acute humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) said the convoy, made up of six trucks carrying shelter items and Non Food Items (NFI), crossed through the Bab Al Hawa crossing – the only humanitarian aid corridor between Turkey and Syria.
A truck from the first UN aid convoy to enter northwest Syria since Monday's earthquake crosses from Turkey into the region.
(Courtesy Abo Zaher Eyad)
Some 4.1 million people already depend on humanitarian aid in mostly rebel-held northwest Syria.
A top aid official told CNN earlier that efforts to help people in quake-stricken regions of Syria have been “incredibly difficult,” because passage entries along the border were destroyed due to the disaster.
“On top of that, in Syria, this happens in the middle of a conflict zone,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
CNN’s Mayumi Maruyama and Alex Stambaugh contributed reporting.
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Almost 30,000 people have been evacuated from near quake epicenter in Turkey
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce
Families of victims stand as rescue officials search among the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras on February 9.
(Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)
At least 28,044 people have been evacuated out of Kahramanmaras, the southern Turkish province near the epicenter of Monday’s deadly earthquake.
As of Thursday at 11:38am local time, at least 23,437 people have been evacuated by air and 4,607 by road and rail, according to Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD.
The agency released an advisory Thursday with information on evacuation centers for those who wish to leave the province, adding that accommodations and guest houses are being coordinated by AFAD and province officials.
Some context: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has admitted to his government’s “shortcomings” amid growing discontent over the state’s response to this week’s disaster, as questions emerge over its preparedness in a country familiar with earthquakes.
Turkey is located over several tectonic plates, although disasters like Monday are not common. But members of the public expressed anger after reports surfaced of entire towns in the country’s north flattened by the powerful tremors.
Recent estimates from the World Health Organization said up to 23 million people could be affected by the disaster.
In photos: Rescue workers journey to Turkey and Syria in race to retrieve earthquake survivors
International aid has poured into Turkey in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly quake, while analysts have warned that Syrian victims may become hostages of a complicated political situation in the region.
Aid agencies have also warned the toll of at least 17,000 across both countries is likely to rise significantly higher, especially in Syria, as search and rescue teams trawl through the debris of fallen buildings amid a cold winter blast in the region.
Members of El Salvador's Urban Search And Rescue Team board a plane to Turkey to assist in rescue efforts in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on Wednesday.
(Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Reuters)
A Palestinian search and rescue team gathers before their departure to Syria and Turkey on Thursday.
(Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images)
Brazilian firefighters prepare to be deployed to Turkey in São Paulo on Wednesday.
(Carla Carniel/Reuters)
A South Korean rescue team prepares to board a plane for Turkey in Incheon, South Korea, on Tuesday.
(Ahn Young-joon/AP)
Hungarian and Czech teams in Hatay, Turkey continue their search and rescue operations on Wednesday.
(Eren Bozkurt/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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Aid chief describes how "incredibly difficult" it is getting aid to Syria
From CNN's Mayumi Maruyama and Alex Stambaugh
Syrians warm up by a fire at a make-shift shelter for people who were left homeless near the rebel-held town of Jindayris on February 9.
(Rami Al Sayed/AFP/Getty Images)
A top aid official told CNN that efforts to help people in quake-stricken regions of Syria have been “incredibly difficult,” as Monday’s deadly disaster compounded years of conflict and an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
“When we needed passable roads, bridges, airports, passage points across border lines the most, they were gone because of the earthquake,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Egeland said one of the main issues has been the limited number of border crossings from Turkey into Syria, including the main point which he says has been restricted due to United Nations Security Council sanctions.
“On both sides of this bitter conflict, there has been opposition to cross line(s to provide) frontline aid. I hope all of those political ideas that we have to make it difficult for the other side will be gone now. They all have one common enemy which is this earthquake and the children on both sides should have the relief they need,” he said.
Egeland told CNN he hopes there will be a lifting of restrictions – either a “peace agreement” or “reconciliation” – to open borders and allow aid to pass into Syria.
He said it will take “at least” 10 years to rebuild, emphasizing the importance of children having schools, homes, waterworks and electricity restored.
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Almost 11 million people in Syria impacted, as fresh snowfall worsens deteriorating situation
From CNN’s Mostafa Salem and Celine Alkhaldi
People spend the night in a vehicle after their house was damaged or collapsed in Aleppo, Syria, on February 8.
(Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
A top UN official has said that 10.9 million people have been affected by the disaster in Syria, as new snowfall compounded the humanitarian crisis further.
The number of people who were in need of assistance in the region before the earthquake stood at 15.3 million – but that will now have to be revised, the UN resident coordinator for Syria, El-Mostafa Benlamlih, told a briefing Wednesday.
In the ancient city of Aleppo alone, 100,000 people are believed to be homeless, with 30,000 currently sheltered in schools and mosques.
“Those are the lucky ones,” he said. The remaining 70,000 “have snow, they have cold and they are living in a terrible situation,” he added.
An aid worker distributing supplies across cities in northern Syria told CNN that homeless people have been sleeping in their cars amid a “very, very difficult,” situation.
The assistance in Syria is “nowhere near enough” as the UN called for “urgent” lifesaving aid, the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen said.
In rebel-held territories of northwest Syria, desperately needed help is expected to arrive from Turkish territory through a border crossing Thursday.
“We were assured that we will be able to get through the first assistance today, and then there will be more assistance coming,” Pedersen said.
Some context: The Syrian regime is shunned by most Western countries, after a deadly campaign led by President Bashar al-Assad to quell the country’s peaceful uprising in 2011 exploded into a civil war, and led to an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
While Turkey has received help from dozens of countries, the aid situation in Syria is less clear as Assad has used the opportunity to call for sanctions against his regime to be lifted.
Syrian victims of the devastating quake may now become hostages of the politics that have divided the country for over a decades, analysts warned CNN.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim and Dalya Al Masri contributed reporting.
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Some of those who lived through the quake now face a struggle to survive the aftermath, WHO warns
From CNN's Duarte Mendonça
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday stressed the urgency of humanitarian organizations making sure people who survived the earthquake “continue to survive” now.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, the WHO’s incident response manager Robert Holden warned there were “a lot of people” surviving “out in the open, in worsening and horrific conditions.”
“We are in real danger of seeing a secondary disaster which may cause harm to more people than the initial disaster if we don’t move with the same pace and intensity as we are doing on the search and rescue side,” Holden added.
Holden went on to emphasize the importance of ensuring that people had “the basic elements to survive the next period.”
”This is no easy task by any stretch of the imagination,” Holden said, adding the “scale of the operation is massive.”
“There’s a sense of purpose and a sense of focus. And that focus isn’t just about search and rescue, that focus is about ensuring people continue to survive and have what they need to be able to do so,” Holden concluded.
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Turkey's President Erdogan will visit more quake-hit cities today
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets with people in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on Wednesday.
(Turkish Presidential Press Office/Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will on Thursday visit three more areas that were damaged by Monday’s devastating earthquake in southern Turkey, state broadcaster TRT Haber reported.
Erdogan will visit the southern cities of Gaziantep, Osmaniye, and Kilis, located near the border with Syria, TRT Haber said.
On Wednesday, Erdogan visited an emergency relief center set up by Turkey’s disaster management agency near the epicenter in the district of Pazarcik, as well as relief efforts in the Adana, Hatay, and Kahramanmaras provinces.
Erdogan on government’s response: Speaking as he visited several disaster zones Wednesday, Erdogan vowed to take “every necessary step” and unite the state and nation so that “we will not leave any citizen unattended.”
Earlier in the day, the president had acknowledged public concern over the government’s response, admitting the state initially “had some problems” at airports and on roads, but insisted the situation was now “under control.”
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Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquakes surpasses 16,000
From CNN’s Isil Sariyuce
Rescue personnel conduct search operations in Adiyaman, Turkey, on Thursday.
(Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday is now at least 16,035, according to authorities.
In Syria, the total number of fatalities is at least 3,162, including 1,900 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the “White Helmets” civil defense group. Some 1,262 deaths have been recorded in government-controlled parts of the country, according to Syrian state media.
In Turkey, the toll has risen to at least 12,873, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said on Thursday.
Aid agencies have warned the toll is likely to rise significantly higher, especially in Syria, as search and rescue teams sift through the rubble of thousands of collapsed buildings amid freezing weather conditions, faced with the risk of aftershocks.
Tens of thousands of people have been reported injured across the region, according to officials.
This post has been updated with the latest figures.
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Body of Australian quake victim found in Turkey
From CNN’s Angus Watson in Sydney
The body of an Australian man killed in Monday’s earthquake has been found in Turkey, according to Linda Scott, a municipal councilor in Sydney.
Can Pahali, also known as John, had been visiting family in the country and was on vacation in the province of Hatay when the quake struck, CNN affiliate Nine News reported.
Australia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of an Australian citizen as a result of the quake but did not name the individual.
The ministry said it is supporting around 50 other Australians and their families who were in the quake zone.
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Grief at the border as Syrian victims' bodies return from Turkey
From CNN's Raja Razek
Photos taken at a border crossing between Turkey and Syria show a devastating scene as families receive the bodies of their loved ones who died in Monday’s massive earthquake.
The bodies of more than 300 Syrians who died in the quake in Turkey have been brought across the border, a spokesperson for the Bab al-Hawa border crossing said on Wednesday.
A man carries a body at the Turkish-Syrian border on Tuesday.
(Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing)
The bodies were sent back to Syria so the victims can be buried in their home country, Bab al-Hawa spokesperson Mazen Alloush said.
“Since Monday, and until now, we have been receiving bodies,” he said. “The bodies of Syrians, who were in Turkey, have been sent to us from various areas and hospitals.”
A man reacts as bodies of Syrian people are returned at the Turkish-Syrian border on Tuesday.
(Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing)
More than 15,000 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria after Monday’s catastrophic earthquake, according to authorities, with the death toll expected to rise higher.
Authorities are yet to release a detailed breakdown of the victims’ nationalities. Turkey is home to some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, according to UN figures, with hundreds of thousands of Syrians living in the southern province of Gaziantep, near the quake’s epicenter.
A truck is seen with body bags at the Turkish-Syrian border on Tuesday.
(Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing)
Allloush told CNN no aid had yet crossed the border, but he had received notice that six aid trucks would be entering the border before noon Thursday.
According to Alloush, the six trucks would be carrying sanitary items and possibly food.
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Quake toll climbs as search teams battle grim conditions to find survivors. Here are the latest headlines
From CNN staff
Search and rescue teams work to rescue a woman from under the rubble of a collapsed building in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on Thursday morning.
(Fecri Barlik/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The death toll from the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has climbed to more than 15,000 as search and rescue teams battle grim conditions with thousands of collapsed buildings and freezing temperatures.
Here are the latest developments:
Emotions running high: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan admitted to “shortcomings” amid growing anger over the state’s response to the massive quake, but insisted the situation was now “under control.” Meanwhile, trading on Istanbul’s stock exchange was halted Wednesday after the main index plummeted in early dealing.
Twitter is back: Access to Twitter in Turkey is being restored, according to network monitoring firm NetBlocks, which said authorities had reminded the social media site of its “obligations” to take down “disinformation.” The apparent block had coincided with a visit by Erdogan to quake-hit areas.
Aid efforts: The World Health Organization said it’s scaling up its response in Syria and Turkey because diseases already present will be amplified in the quake’s aftermath. WHO is sending medical teams and three flights of medical supplies to the region. The US military sent two civilian urban search and rescue teams to Turkey and Australia is deploying 72 search and rescue specialists to the country. Meanwhile, the EU announced a donor conference to raise funds for victims.
Syria complications: While Turkey has received an outpouring of support and aid, analysts have warned that Syrian victims may become hostages of Western sanctions imposed against the government amid the country’s more than decade-long civil war. Some areas most impacted by the quake are controlled by President Bashar al-Assad’s government, others by Turkish-backed and US-backed opposition forces, Kurdish rebels and Sunni Islamist fighters. The Syrian government says it has set up more than 100 shelters equipped with aid supplies across areas it controls.
Border crossing restored: Meanwhile, the road leading to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria is accessible after it was damaged by the quake, according to a UN official. A spokesperson for the crossing said it had not seen any international aid as of Wednesday but had received the bodies of more than 300 Syrians who died in Turkey.
Survivors still being found: There have been some dramatic rescues, including that of two sisters who spent 62 hours under their collapsed building in Gaziantep, Turkey. Search and rescue teams in the southern city continue to look through the rubble for survivors.
US nationals killed: At least three US citizens died in the quake in southeastern Turkey, and four Australians remain unaccounted for in the country, according to officials. Meanwhile, two Ukrainians believed to have died in the quake were found alive in the rubble of a house.
Tough conditions: Extreme winter weather is impacting rescue efforts. Aftershocks are also a potential hazard — at least 125 measuring 4.0 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude quake struck southern Turkey on Monday, according to the US Geological Survey. Though their frequency and magnitude are decreasing, 5.0 to 6.0+ aftershocks remain possible and bring a risk of additional damage to compromised structures and a continued threat to rescue teams and survivors.
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Twitter access is being restored in Turkey, network monitoring firm says
From CNN’s Philip Wang
Access to Twitter in Turkey is being restored after users reported being unable to access the social media site following Monday’s deadly earthquake, according to network monitoring firm NetBlocks.
Earlier Wednesday, NetBlocks, journalists and academics reported that access to Twitter had been restricted in the country. Some Twitter users appealed to Twitter CEO Elon Musk for help, tagging his Twitter handle in an apparent effort to get his attention.
In a tweet Wednesday, Musk said the Turkish government had told him that authorities would stop blocking the social media platform.
NetBlocks said traffic filtering had been applied at the internet service provider level that was preventing Twitter users from reaching the site.
Its report coincided with user claims that Twitter was inaccessible in the country, and as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began a tour of the quake-hit region.
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More than 15,000 people killed in Turkey-Syria quake, officials say
From CNN's Jonny Hallam and Hande Atay Alam
The death toll following the catastrophic earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria on Monday has risen to at least 15,383, according to authorities.
The toll in Turkey surged by more than 3,000 in a matter of hours and is now at 12,391, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency on Thursday.
The total number of deaths in Syria is at least 2,992, including 1,730 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the “White Helmets” civil defense group, as well as an additional 1,262 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media.
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2 women found alive in Turkey after 62 hours under rubble, officials say
Fatma Demir, 25, told the rescuer that when the earthquake happened, her relative Husra was next to her.
Search and rescue teams in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep continue to look for any people buried under the rubble.
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Getting international aid to Syria is complicated. Here's why
From CNN's Raja Razek
Displaced Syrians take shelter on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Jindayris on February 8.
(Bakr Alkasem/AFP/Getty Images)
Some 70 countries and 14 international organizations have offered Turkey relief following the earthquake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday, including the United States, United Kingdom, the UAE, Israel and Russia.
The international aid situation in Syria is less clear.
Syria is ruled by a myriad of disparate groups. Some of the areas of Syria most impacted by the quake are controlled by President Bashar al-Assad’s government, others by Turkish-backed and US-backed opposition forces, Kurdish rebels and Sunni Islamist fighters.
Idlib, one of Syria’s last opposition strongholds, is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed Sunni Islamist group.
The Assad government, internationally sidelined and heavily sanctioned due to its brutal suppression of an uprising that started in 2011, counts Iran and Russia as its closest allies — both global pariahs.
The regime insists all aid to the country, including aid meant for areas outside its control, be directed to the capital Damascus.
That hasn’t been received well by activists and observers who fear the regime could hamper timely aid to thousands of quake victims in rebel-held areas, most of whom are women and children, according to the UN.
So far, the UAE, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and India have sent relief directly to regime-controlled airports. Others such as Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, China, Canada and the Vatican have pledged aid, though it is unclear if that relief will be sent directly to the regime.
On Wednesday, Damascus said it has set up more than a hundred shelters equipped with aid supplies for those affected by the quake across government-controlled areas, including in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Tartus and Latakia, a coastal city which has the highest number of earthquake deaths counted in Syria so far, and more than 100 collapsed buildings.
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Emotions run high in Turkey amid questions over state response to deadly quake
From CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Isil Sariyuce, Zeena Saifi and Reyhan Baysan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has admitted to “shortcomings” as it emerged his government restricted Twitter access amid growing anger over the state’s response to the massive earthquake earlier this week, which is now known to have killed more than 15,000 people.
Two days after the quake hit Turkey’s Gaziantep province near the Syrian border, rescuers are racing against the clock through freezing conditions in a frantic scramble to pull survivors from the debris. As questions emerge over the country’s preparedness, the latest estimates from the World Health Organization said up to 23 million people could be affected by the disaster.
Huge piles of rubble and wreckage litter streets in Gaziantep where residential buildings and properties once stood. As the desperate search for survivors continues, emergency responders have periodically called for silence from those in the immediate vicinity and for heavy machinery to briefly still while rescuers check for signs of life from trapped residents.
The official response has seen Erdogan declare a state of emergency for the next three months in 10 provinces. The country’s disaster management agency has deployed search and rescue teams to badly-hit areas and the health minister announced field hospitals had been set up.
Speaking as he visited several earthquake disaster zones Wednesday, Erdogan vowed to take “every necessary step” and unite the state and nation so that “we will not leave any citizen unattended.”
Earlier in the day, the president had acknowledged public concern over the government’s response, admitting the state initially “had some problems” at airports and on roads, but insisting the situation was now “under control.”
Border crossing between Turkey and Syria has received 300 bodies of quake victims, but no aid, official says
From CNN's Raja Razek
The Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria has received the bodies of more than 300 Syrians who died in the quake in Turkey, a spokesperson said Wednesday. But it has not received any international aid, he said.
The bodies were sent back to Syria so the victims can be buried in their home country, he said.
Alloush expressed frustration and disputed earlier reports that roads had not been clear for aid trucks to enter due to damage from the earthquake, telling CNN, “How are roads OK for cars carrying bodies, but not for aid?”
A United Nations official told CNN Wednesday the road leading to the crossing was damaged by Monday’s quake, but is now accessible.
That official, Muhannad Hadi, who serves as the regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria crisis with the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said they hope to begin moving aid by Thursday.
When asked about the possibility of receiving aid on Thursday, Alloush said he had received notice that six aid trucks will be entering the border before noon Thursday.
According to Alloush, the six trucks would be carrying sanitary items and possibly food.
Earlier Wednesday, Bab al-Hawa released a statement saying, “We, the Bab al-Hawa administration, confirm that at the time of this release, no aid has arrived from any side, international or non-international. Crossing personnel are ready to facilitate entry of any relief convoys, aid groups, or equipment, to help in debris removal and to help our afflicted people.”
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At least 3 US citizens killed in earthquake in Turkey, State Department says
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
At least three US citizens were killed in the earthquake in southeastern Turkey, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.
US officials are working to provide support to victims and their family members.
The spokesperson added that “individuals in need of immediate, local emergency assistance should call Turkish authorities using the phone number 112.”
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Hope and despair as rescuers search for survivors in quake-hit Turkish city
From CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Gul Tuysuz in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
The body of a 4-year-old girl wrapped in a pink blanket was brought out Wednesday from the wreckage of a building in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras. She’s one of the latest young victims of Monday’s massive quake.
Elsewhere, excavators dug out the body of man believed to be a Syrian refugee in his 40s, who seemed to be on a mattress, like many of those who died after the quake struck around 4 a.m.
In the room where he was found were children’s toys, and a box for a Barbie doll. It was unclear if there was anyone else under the rubble.
In a neighboring building, also collapsed, rescuers were digging down from the top to try to reach one or possibly two people thought to be alive. A generator was brought up to power a pneumatic hand-operated drill; the man directing it cleared away the rubble with his bare hands.
He appeared to have spotted signs of life beneath the wreckage, but rescuers sent away a waiting ambulance, saying there was still a lot of work to do.
More than two days after the deadly earthquake and aftershocks rocked the city, rescue teams continued to search through the rubble, the tempo picking up as the day wore on.
Heavy machinery has been increasingly brought into areas where a day earlier cautious searchers relied on their hands to dig through the rubble. The risk posed to those trapped alive must be weighed against their chances of surviving many more hours in the bitter cold.
In the lower part of the city, where buildings are predominantly older and the damage is worse, the sound of mechanical excavators is now everywhere.
While some people are still being pulled alive from the debris, most of the time rescuers are retrieving bodies.
A man volunteering at one of the hospitals in Kahramanmaras told CNN Wednesday there were 350 bodies in the morgue that had not been collected by relatives because their family members had died.
