​Rescue efforts in Turkey and northern Syria continued overnight to pull out the rubble of powerful earthquakes that devastated the region on Monday, leaving several thousand dead.

According to the latest official figures (which are likely to rise), more than 4,300 people have been declared dead, including 2,921 in Turkey, nearly 20 hours after the first of the three earthquakes, a magnitude 7.8, the agency said. State Disaster Management Authority (Afad) and over 1,440 in Syria.

Rescuers battled in cold, torrential rain and snow, sometimes naked, to save whatever life they could, such as a seven-year-old girl who was pulled from the rubble in Hatay (south), on the border with Syria. a woman, after more than 20 hours of terror, with pajamas soaked in dust, says an AFP reporter from the scene.

The bad weather that hangs over Anatolia complicates the task of rescuers and makes the fate of the survivors even more cruel, who are shivering from the cold in tents or near home-made stoves.

Several provinces in the east of Turkey have received severe weather warnings. In the regions affected by the earthquake, it is colder than usual

Rescue teams come from all over the world

The first teams of rescuers have already started arriving in Turkey, including from Romania. US President Joe Biden promised his colleague Recep Tayyip Erdogan “any necessary help”. According to the President of Turkey, 45 countries have offered help. Turkey also sent a formal request to NATO and allies for help in dealing with the consequences of Monday’s devastating earthquakes

In Syria, however, the call from the authorities in Damascus was heard mainly by its Russian ally, which promised rescue teams “within the next few hours”, while more than 300 Russian soldiers were already on the scene to help with the rescue, according to the army.

The UN also responded, but insisted that aid would go to “all Syrians across the country,” some of whom are not under government control. At least 700 people have died in these rebel-held areas bordering Turkey in northwestern Syria.

5 thousand buildings were destroyed in Turkey

Taking advantage of the chaos created by the earthquake, about 20 Islamic State fighters escaped from a military prison in Rajo, controlled by pro-Turkish rebels.

The death toll on both sides of the border is steadily rising and, given the scale of the damage, is expected to rise as the search continues.

In Turkey alone, the authorities counted almost five thousand destroyed buildings. And a sharp drop in temperature exposes the wounded under the rubble to an additional risk of hypothermia.

The World Health Organization itself said that it expects the worst and fears that “the number of dead is eight times higher than the initial figures.”

“Everybody’s Afraid”

On Monday, at least 185 aftershocks were registered after the first two earthquakes: one with a magnitude of 7.8 at midnight (4:17 a.m. local time) and another with a magnitude of 7.5 in the middle of the day, both with the epicenter in the southeast of the country. Turkey.

Local authorities set up dormitories in gymnasiums and schools or even mosques to accommodate survivors. But due to fears of new earthquakes, many residents preferred to spend the night outside, as in Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey.

“Who is not afraid? Everyone is afraid,” said 55-year-old Mustafa Koyuncu, who was crowded into the family car with his wife and five children.

This earthquake became the strongest in Turkey since August 17, 1999, when 17,000 people died, including 1,000 in Istanbul. The Turkish head of state declared seven days of national mourning and closed schools for a week.

Monday’s devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria were broadcast LIVE on HotNews.ro.

Literature:

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• Why was the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria so devastating?