The death toll continued to rise in Turkey and Syria as a frantic search for earthquake survivors pressed on.
USA Today reports the death toll surpassed 7,700 people across Turkey and Syria on Tuesday as the frantic search for survivors from two powerful earthquakes and a series of violent aftershocks continued for a second day.
The temblors reportedly toppled more than 6,000 buildings. In Turkiye alone, more than 24,000 rescue workers from around the world were picking through mammoth heaps of debris seeking signs of life in a battle against time and pulling 8,000-plus people out of the rubble.
Turkiye’s emergency management agency reportedly said the country's death count has surpassed 5,400, with about 31,000 injured. An estimated 380,000 survivors have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels.
Meanwhile, The Guardian, citing Syria’s White Helmets, reports that the death toll in rebel-held northwest Syria alone now stands at 1,220.
With the 812 people confirmed dead in government-held areas, this reportedly brings the total known toll in Syria to 2032.
The numbers are expected to increase “significantly”, the White Helmets said.
According to The Guardian, at least 5,894 have died in Turkiye, bringing the overall lives lost in both countries so far to 7,926.
As the scale of the devastation from the 7.8 magnitude tremor continued to unfold, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned the number of casualties could exceed 20,000.
