Rescuers continued their race to pull more people alive from the rubble, with the window closing to find trapped survivors. While stories of miraculous rescues briefly buoyed spirits, the grim reality of the hardship cast a pall.
PUBLISHED 8:12 AM EST Feb. 09, 2023Thousands who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires and clamored for food and water in the bitter cold, three days after the temblor and series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than 19,300.
Ahmet Tokgoz, a survivor, called for the government to evacuate people from the devastated region. While many of the tens of thousands who have lost their homes have found shelter in tents, stadiums and other temporary accommodation, others have spent the nights outdoors since Monday's 7.8 magnitude quake.
Some in Turkey have complained the response was too slow. Any perception that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has mismanaged the crisis could hurt him at a time when he faces a tough battle for reelection in May. Erdogan — who was scheduled to continue his tour of devastated areas on Thursday — has sought to play down the criticism.
In Antakya to the south, rescuers pulled out a young girl, Hazal Guner, from the ruins of a building and also rescued her father, Soner Guner, news agency IHA reported. Turkey's disaster management agency said more than 110,000 rescue personnel were now taking part in the effort and more than 5,500 vehicles, including tractors, cranes, bulldozers and excavators had been shipped.
Aid efforts in Syria have been hampered by the ongoing war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border, which is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces. Syria itself is an international pariah under Western sanctions linked to the war. While stories of miraculous rescues briefly buoyed spirits, the grim reality of the hardships facing tens of thousands who survived the disaster cast a pall
"Especially in this cold, it is not possible to live here," he said. "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." Meanwhile, emergency crews on both sides of the border worked through the night to find survivors. Experts said the survival window for those trapped under the rubble or otherwise unable to obtain basic necessities was closing rapidly. At the same time, they said it was too soon to abandon hope.
As they prepared to load the man into an ambulance, rescue crews told him that his daughter was alive. "I love you all," he faintly whispered. In the Syrian government-held city of Aleppo, rescue workers pulled seven people out alive and 44 bodies on Thursday from a collapsed building in the city center, state TV reported.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Turkey earthquake live updates: Fevered rescues underway as death toll tops 6,000 in Turkey, SyriaLATEST: The Port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey sustained heavy damage on Monday. The port was damaged due to the earthquake that struck Turkey and neighboring Syria.
Read more »
Turkey earthquake live updates: Fevered rescues underway as death toll tops 7,000 in Turkey, SyriaLATEST: More than 7,000 people are dead following Monday's devastating quake and powerful aftershocks, according to officials.
Read more »
Turkey earthquake live updates: Fevered rescues underway as death toll nears 10,000 in Turkey, SyriaLATEST: More than 9,600 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria early Monday, according to officials.
Read more »
Turkey earthquake live updates: Fevered rescues underway as death toll tops 11,000 in Turkey, SyriaBREAKING: More than 11,000 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria early Monday, according to officials.
Read more »
Hopes fade for finding earthquake survivors as death toll goes over 11KThousands of buildings were toppled by a catastrophic earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
Read more »