Latest earthquake news in Turkey and Syria: almost 4,900 dead and tens of thousands injured

An aerial view of rubble as rescuers conduct search and rescue operations at a collapsed building in Osmaniye, Turkey, on February 6.

(Muzaffer Cagliyaner/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

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11 minutes ago

Earthquake death toll rises to nearly 4,900 in Turkey and Syria

By Isil Tariyuce and Celine Alkhaldi

A view of rubble in Malatya, Turkey, on February 6.

(Hakan Akgun/dia images/Getty Images)

At least 4,890 deaths in Turkey and Syria have been confirmed after a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the region early Monday.

The death toll in Turkey rose to at least 3,381 at around 9:45 a.m. local time Tuesday, Orhan Tatar, an official with the country's disaster management agency, said in a televised briefing.

At least 20,426 injuries have also been reported, according to Tatar.

So far, 11,000 buildings have been damaged in Turkey, he said.

Nearly 25,000 first responders are working on the affected scenes, she added.

Rescue teams are using at least 10 boats and 54 planes to transport the injured and help search operations, he said.

In Syria, the death toll rose to 1,509 in areas controlled by the government and the opposition, authorities said.

At least 3,548 people have also been injured in Syria, according to authorities.

41 minutes ago

Mexico sends rescuers to Turkey to help search for survivors

By Gerardo Lemos and Fidel Gutiérrez

This Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico reported through a statement that a team of rescue specialists from the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Navy, as well as the Ministry of Public Security and Citizen Protection via Civil Protection , left for Turkey to help in the search for survivors after the earthquake that affected that country and Syria last Monday.

The Foreign Ministry added that the purpose of this team is to support the tasks led by the Turkish and Syrian authorities to rescue people and protect the lives of those who are injured.

1 hour ago

Aid for Turkey and Syria comes from all over the world

By Rhea Mogul

The international community has rushed to offer assistance to Turkey and Syria as the full scale of the disaster has become apparent.

Here's a rundown of some of the latest pledges of support:

On Tuesday morning, planes carrying aid from Iraq and Iran, including food, medicine and blankets, arrived at Damascus International Airport in Syria, Syrian state media SANA reported.

Japan announced it would send the country's disaster relief rescue team to Turkey, and on Monday night, the first of two disaster relief teams left India for Turkey with squads of dogs and medical supplies. .

Pakistan also sent two search and rescue teams to the devastated country, while Australia and New Zealand committed funds for humanitarian assistance.

The European Union activated its crisis response mechanism, while the United States said it would send two search and rescue units to Turkey.

Palestinian civil defense and medical teams will also be sent to Turkey and Syria to assist in rescue operations.

Meanwhile, 10 Russian army units with more than 300 soldiers are clearing rubble and assisting in search-and-rescue operations in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russia is the strongest foreign power operating in Syria, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has long been allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said emergency response teams from the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) and WHO Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) are being mobilized to Turkey to assist in the humanitarian response.

2 hours ago

In Syria, millions of displaced people face harsh winter as earthquake destruction increases disease risk

By Rhea Mogul

People search through the rubble of a collapsed building in Idlib, Syria, on February 6.

(Ghaith Alsayed/AP)

More than 4,300 people were killed on both sides of the Turkey-Syria border when the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey in the early hours of Monday.

But with thousands more injured and an unknown number missing, the final toll is feared to be much higher.

In Syria, a country already reeling from civil war, the devastation that followed Monday's earthquake is widespread.

Death toll: At least 1,136 people were killed in the quake, Syrian state news agencies reported, with more people feared to remain buried in the rubble.

Much of northwestern Syria, which borders Turkey, is controlled by rebels, and aid agencies are warning of an acute humanitarian crisis likely to be felt for months to come.

Equipment shortfall: The UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, El-Mostafa Benlamlih, told CNN that the search and rescue mission was being hampered by a lack of heavy equipment and machinery.

He said the UN stock supply has been distributed and more medicines and medical equipment are needed, especially fresh water or tools to repair damaged water tanks.

Vulnerable population: Around 4 million people in northern Syria were already displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid as a result of the war, according to James Elder, UNICEF spokesman.

“Everyone is overloaded in that part of the world… there is an enormous amount of things to do,” he said.

“People have fled their homes, often standing in extreme cold, with no real access to clean drinking water.

So water is key.

Blankets, food, psychological support.”

Disease risk: The country's hospitals are overwhelmed as victims seek help, and some facilities were damaged by the quake.

And there is particular concern about the spread of disease, especially among children, already living in dire straits.

This winter had been particularly harsh due to frost and a cholera outbreak, Elder said.

Appeal for international help: A volunteer from the “White Helmets” group, officially known as Syria Civil Defense, said that the organization does not have enough help to handle this disaster.

“Our teams are working around the clock to help save injured people.

But our capabilities, our powers are not enough to handle this disaster," Ismail Alabdullah told CNN.

"This disaster needs international efforts to deal with it."

2 hours ago

In Turkey, rescuers rush to find survivors after deadly earthquake

By Rhea Mogul

Rescuers search for victims and survivors among the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 7.

(Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images)

A massive international rescue effort is underway in Turkey and Syria to reach victims trapped in the rubble as survivors endured their first night in icy conditions alongside the collapsed remains of thousands of houses and buildings.

The death toll continues to rise more than 24 hours after the quake as search teams navigate blocked roads and damaged infrastructure to reach the affected area, which has been rocked by at least 100 aftershocks.

In Turkey: At least 2,921 people have been killed and several thousand injured, the head of the country's disaster services, Yunus Sezer, said at a news conference Monday night.

Plunging temperatures: The weather and scale of the disaster were making it difficult for relief teams to reach the affected area, Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, adding that helicopters were unable to take off on Monday due to bad weather.

Heavy snowstorms have recently battered parts of Syria and Turkey, according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink, and already frigid temperatures are expected to plummet to several degrees below freezing by Wednesday.

Shelter for survivors: Photos taken in earthquake-hit cities in south-eastern Turkey show families huddled around bonfires to keep warm.

Some sought refuge in buses, sports centers, mosques and under temporary canvas tents, structures strong enough to withstand more aftershocks or flimsy enough not to cause serious injury if they collapsed.

Destroyed buildings: At least 5,606 structures collapsed during the quake and in the hours after, Turkey's disaster agency (AFAD) said.

Iskenderun State Hospital in the town of the same name was among them, said Koca, the health minister.

“We are trying to save the medical workers and the patients there,” he added.

“This type of disaster can only be overcome with solidarity.”

As of Monday night, at least 300,000 blankets, 24,712 beds and 19,722 tents had been sent to quake-hit areas, AFAD said.

3 hours ago

Monday's earthquake is the most powerful recorded in Turkey since 1939, according to the UN

By Sahar Akbarzai

A view of the rubble in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 6.

(Adsiz Gunebakan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

The United Nations said the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey early Monday was the country's most powerful quake in more than 80 years.

“This is the most powerful earthquake recorded in Turkey since 1939,” said a situation report released Monday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

UNOCHA said emergency response teams from the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) and the World Health Organization's Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Health are being mobilized to Turkey to assist in the humanitarian response.

"The UN and its partners are closely monitoring the situation on the ground and are seeking to mobilize emergency funds in the region," the report said.

3 hours ago

A 14-year-old boy is rescued from rubble in Turkey one day after the deadly earthquake

By Beroj Siya

A 14-year-old boy was rescued from rubble in the town of Kahramanmaras more than 24 hours after a powerful earthquake struck the region, according to CNN affiliate CNN Turk.

His rescue, broadcast live on CNN Turk, showed emergency crews carrying the boy on a stretcher through the crowd to an ambulance.

"Finally! He's been rescued," a CNN Turk reporter said from the scene, calling it a "miracle."

The boy has been taken to the hospital, the reporter said.

His condition is unknown.