Turkey-Syria earthquake: death toll exceeds 30,000

The death toll from last Monday's earthquake

, according to official sources.

Yesterday a UN official said these numbers could double.

"'I think it's really hard to estimate very precisely because we still have to dig under the rubble, but I'm sure it (the death toll) will double or go further,' United Nations, Martin Griffiths

in the 10 provinces affected by last Monday's earthquake: these are people linked to some of the collapsed buildings, suspected of having violated the country's building regulations.

This was reported by the Anadolu news agency.

Indeed, the Ministry of Justice has authorized almost 150 local prosecutors to set up "investigation units on crimes related to the earthquake": the prosecutors will be able to initiate criminal cases against all the "builders and those responsible" for the collapse of buildings who did not comply with the existing codes, introduced after a similar disaster in 1999.

One such entrepreneur is Mehmet Yasar Coskun, who is responsible for building a 12-story luxury condominium with 250 apartments in Hatay province that was flattened by the earthquake.

The man was arrested on Friday at Istanbul airport as he tried to leave the country for Montenegro, Anadolu said.

Istanbul prosecutors ordered his arrest after discovering his flight plans.

RESCUE

A seven-month-old baby was rescued in the district of Antakya, in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, after being trapped in the rubble for 140 hours.

This was reported by the Turkish state news agency Anadolu.

In Nizip district of the same province, an undisclosed girl's age was pulled from the rubble 146 hours after the earthquake.

Also in Hatay province, Antakya district, a 35-year-old man was rescued by Turkish and Romanian rescue teams after 149 hours.