The toll of the violent earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria is worsening by the hour: the number of women has risen to over 7,100.
Rescuers are still searching for trapped survivors.
Digging continues while the tremors don't stop.
Officials and doctors said 5,434 people had died in Turkey and 1,712 in Syria, bringing the death toll to 7,146.
The injured are 26,721 and the buildings destroyed 5,775.
There is an Italian who is still missing from the appeal
.
His name is Angelo Zen, he is from Veneto.
"We are in constant contact with the family," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.
ANSA Agency
An Italian from Veneto who is missing in Turkey is Angelo Zen - Veneto
"There is only one Italian missing who we have not been able to contact. It is Angelo Zen, from the province of Vicenza, we are in constant contact with the family".
(HANDLE)
Miraculous rescues are also multiplying
, such as that of the newborn found alive still with the umbilical cord attached to her mother who unfortunately died under the rubble
.
A mother and her two daughters were pulled alive from the rubble after 33 hours
in Hatay, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey.
She makes it known Anadolu by making it known that while they were being transported to the hospital, the heart of one of her daughters stopped beating but the girl was later revived.
According to the WHO, the total death toll could reach 20,000.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a
state of emergency for three months
in the 10 southeastern provinces.
The situation in Syria is also dramatic
.
"The needs are enormous, it's a catastrophe and everything is needed: blankets are needed to face the harsh winter, food, hygiene kits and basic necessities".
This was told in an audio testimony by the coordinator of Terre del Hommes in Aleppo, Najibhayat Kahale.
"Four schools in the area are heavily damaged and unusable. Another 53 are partially damaged, while 16 schools have been redesigned to become temporary reception centres", he adds.
Turkey, fire at the port of Iskenderun hit by the earthquake
Another fault was activated on the border between Syria and Turkey
and was responsible for the second strong earthquake recorded yesterday morning, namely the one of magnitude 7.5 at 12:24 (11:24 in Italy).
Seismologist Alessandro Amato from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) told ANSA.
"That earthquake - he added - occurred on a fault that is located further north than the eastern Anatolian one, between 70 and 80 meters long".
The new fault caused a displacement of up to 10 meters in the soil
.
Seismologist Alessandro Amato from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) told ANSA.
ANSA. it
Turkey-Syria earthquake: new fault, ground shifted 10 meters - Science & Technology
(HANDLE)
The earthquake moved Anatolia 3 meters
"
I am close with all my heart
to the people affected by the earthquake in #Turkey and #Syria. I continue to pray for those who have lost their lives, for the injured, their families, the rescuers. May the concrete help of all of us support them in this terrible tragedy.
Pope Francis affirms it today in a tweet.
Joe Biden
called Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and reaffirmed the willingness of the United States to provide all necessary assistance "to our NATO ally in the face of this tragedy".
The president extended condolences on behalf of the American people to those who were injured or lost loved ones in the earthquakes.
Biden also stressed that "US teams were rapidly deployed to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate assistance to those affected by the earthquake".
Earthquake in Turkey, stuck under the rubble: they ask for help and film everything
Freezing temperatures, snow and rain
they are also hampering the efforts of rescuers, in both countries.
Even reaching areas close to the epicenter in Turkey is proving incredibly difficult.
There are fears that the highway leading south is unsafe after the strong tremors and transit has all been shifted to a winding mountain road.
Local civil protection has desperately tried to get ambulances and rescue teams through, but the route is clogged with trucks and people trying to escape.
The roads are bumpy, with deep fractures.
And as a result of the earthquake, a large fire broke out last night in the port of Iskenderun (Alexandretta), a coastal town in southeastern Turkey, perhaps due to the fall of some containers in the port caused by the earthquake.
Meanwhile Ankara, despite everything,
found the time to arrest four people for "provocative posts aimed at creating fear and panic" published on social networks in southern Turkey.
In fact, anger had been expressed by citizens in the southern province of Hatay for the slowness of relief efforts, also confirmed by the mayor of the city
ANSA. it
The earthquake in Turkey-Syria a thousand times greater than that Amatrice - Scienza & Tecnica
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Turkey was a thousand times stronger than the one that struck Amatrice in 2016 and 30 times stronger than that of Irpinia in 1980. (ANSA)