In an unequal battle against time to rescue other survivors in the ruins of thousands of collapsed buildings, Turkish and foreign rescue teams in Turkey and Syria have now passed the 9,600 death toll from Enceladus’ double strike in Kahramanmaras for the third day.

In the midst of frost, but, fortunately, with the appearance of the sun, crews from abroad increase, and every hour, according to Turkish media, “miracles” are recorded with the extraction of survivors from the wreckage.

The current third 24 hours are considered critical as the first 72 hours are considered to be the amount of time an average person can stay alive trapped under the rubble if they haven’t already been killed by whatever has fallen on them.

The Greek EMAK has already rescued four people from the ruins in Alexandretta (Iskenderun), and specialists and rescuers from many countries are flocking to Turkey, in contrast to Syria, whose war and the position of Damascus prevented many foreign rescuers from arriving.

The work of the Greek rescuers is also highly appreciated by the Turkish media. The arrival of five nurses on an EMAK mission is also highlighted.

A total of at least 8,700 people were pulled alive from the rubble, according to the latest count by Turkish state broadcaster TRT. At least 96,000 rescuers and other support personnel are on the job, according to the Turkish government.

On Wednesday morning, Turkey’s emergency agency (AFAD) confirmed at least 7,108 deaths and 40,910 others injured.

Turkey’s Environment Minister Murat Kurum said in a statement on Wednesday morning that 684 aftershocks have already been registered and a pledge has been made to provide housing for millions of earthquake victims. According to AFAD, 50,818 tents have already been set up.

IN Syria according to the latest official count, based on data provided by the Ministry of Health and rescuers, the death toll has risen to over 2,500.

At least 1,250 people died and 2,054 were injured in areas controlled by government forces in the provinces of Aleppo (north), Latakia (west), Hama (center) and Tartus (northwest) on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Health. .

In rebel-held areas in northwestern Syria, an additional 1,280 people have died and more than 2,600 have been injured, according to White Helmets rescuers.

“The number is expected to rise significantly due to the presence of hundreds of families under the rubble more than 50 hours after the earthquake,” the White Helmets wrote in a post.

Erdogan transition

According to official information, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself travels to earthquake-affected areas on Wednesday in an attempt to strengthen the presence of the central government. He is expected to inspect areas in southern and eastern Turkey affected by the aftershocks on Monday, Turkish Anadolu news agency reported.

It is reported that the Turkish ruler will first go to the epicenter of the first earthquake, Kahramanmaras, and then go to Pazartsik and Hatay.

There is also a race to take the wounded from the earthquake-hit areas to hospitals in other cities such as Ankara, Antalya and Istanbul, as the hospitals that survived Enceladus and are still operating are overwhelmed with victims. Dozens of field hospitals have also been set up in many regions in southern and eastern Turkey.

Turkish media described scenes of disbelief at the top of the rubble, with relatives of the missing screaming to be heard by those trapped for two days, while rescuers demanded silence to listen for any sign of life under the shapeless masses of cement.

At the same time, in the central parts of the quake-hit cities, people are sleeping huddled in open spaces and in cars to protect themselves from the relentless cold that – as if nothing else was enough – sweeps the region.

There are also reports of cases of trees in Kahramanmaras holding collapsing buildings supported by them from collapsing.

Turkish Airlines, the state-owned airline, has announced that flights from earthquake-affected areas will be free until at least February 13.

Meanwhile, the fire in the port of Alexandretta was renewed. While the Turkish Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that the container fire had been extinguished, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday that the fire had resurfaced and a plane and a helicopter had been dispatched to put out the fire.

The fire was caused by an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, which closed the port and diverted cargo ships to neighboring ports.

Regular visits of foreign rescuers

More than 5,300 foreign rescuers had arrived in Turkey by Wednesday morning, according to the Turkish government.

A team specialized in search and rescue operations hastily dispatched by her government. China arrived early Wednesday at Adana airport in Turkey to help after the devastating earthquake that hit the country and Syria early Monday morning, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The team consists of 82 people, with four specially trained dogs, and the plane that transported it will also deliver 20 tons of medical and other supplies to the Turkish authorities, the same source said.

The group will coordinate with local authorities, the Chinese Embassy in Turkey, the United Nations and various other aid organizations, set up a command center, and participate in search and rescue operations and treatment of the wounded, CCTV reported.

OUR Italian Civil Protection announced the dispatch of new aid to Turkey to deal with the tragic consequences of the devastating earthquake that hit that country and neighboring Syria.

47 Italian firefighters, 11 medical workers from the regions of Tuscany and Lazio and 10 Italian civil protection officers are already working in the earthquake-affected areas.

“At the same time, we are ready to send other assistance, including the necessary materials to set up a field hospital,” Civil Protection Minister Nello Muzumecki said.

Part of Turkey’s aid will be delivered by an Italian Navy ship in agreement with the European Commission.

US: no cooperation with Damascus

Government USA announced on Tuesday that it is working with non-governmental organizations in Syria to offer assistance to earthquake victims, while denying any cooperation with the government in Damascus.

“We have US-funded humanitarian partners in Syria who are providing life-saving assistance,” US Foreign Secretary Anthony Blinken told reporters.

“We are determined to provide this assistance so that the Syrian people can overcome” the ordeal they are going through, he continued, insisting that “the funds will definitely go to the Syrian people, not to the regime” of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Earlier, US Agency for International Development (USAID) spokesman Stephen Allen assured from Ankara that “all of our humanitarian efforts are currently directed to northwest Syria.”

US assistance consists of support teams conducting search and rescue operations, offering shelter and food, added Mr. Allen, who declined to name US non-governmental organizations for security reasons.

According to him, most of the disasters in Syria occur in areas not controlled by the authorities of the country, where the war has been raging for 12 years.

However, humanitarian aid missions from Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and India arrived in the Arab country on Wednesday, the state news agency SANA reported.

Condolences to Kim only Syria

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his condolences in a message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the victims of the devastating earthquake, North Korean media reported, according to South Korea’s national news agency Yonhap.

The agency notes that there was no word from Pyongyang about whether Kim Jong-un also expressed condolences to Turkey.

Source: APE-MPE, Anadolu, TRT, Reuters, SANA.