Increase in the number of earthquake fatalities in Turkey and Syria
Heavy rain has complicated rescue operations in the earthquake-stricken areas of Turkey and Syria. The World Health Organization has predicted a significant increase in the death toll from the major earthquake in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. The number of injured has been reported as 15,000.
On the morning of Monday, February 6, two strong earthquakes shook a large area of southern Turkey near the country’s border with northwestern Syria.
Rescue operations and efforts to save those trapped under the rubble are still ongoing, but rescuers are facing winter cold and mountains of concrete and bricks.
Turkey announced that so far, more than 2,600 rescuers from 65 countries around the world have been dispatched to the earthquake-stricken areas to assist Turkish rescuers.
Experts say this first earthquake was one of the strongest in Turkey’s history. Those present in these southern areas of Turkey say the tremors lasted about 2 minutes.
Eleven minutes after this first earthquake, strong aftershocks were felt in central Turkey. At 1:30 PM local time, another strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 shook these areas.