Turkey And Syria Earthquake: Death Toll Passes 5,000

A massive earthquake has killed more than 5,000 people across Turkey and northwest Syria leaving thousands injured or homeless.

Over 3,400 people have been reported dead so far in Turkey, with more than 1,600 people in Syria.

The 7.8 magnitude quake is the biggest recorded worldwide by the U.S. Geological Survey since a tremor in the remote South Atlantic in August 2021.

Turkey’s disaster management agency said it had 11,342 reports of collapsed buildings, of which 5,775 had been confirmed.

The number of dead in both countries is expected to rise as help and rescue personnel continue to work.

However, emergency crews on the ground have remained impeded by frigid temperatures and close to 200 aftershocks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared seven days of national mourning.

Neighbouring states such as Greece have offered their resources with a team of rescue workers, specialised in dealing with natural disasters arriving in Turkey’s Hatay region with sniffer dogs, doctors, nurses and a special fire-fighting vehicle.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated Athens’ “readiness to provide all further assistance necessary.”