Friday, February 10, 2023
Rescuers have been scouring debris for more than 100 hours after massive earthquakes hit Türkiye and Syria on Monday, leaving nearly 24,000 people dead and thousands injured.
According to officials and medics, death toll climbed to 20,318 and 80,088 people were injured in southeastern Türkiye.
Death toll in Syria late on Friday climbed to 3,553 people, 1,387 in regime-run areas and 2,166 in the opposition-controlled territories.
Some 12,000 buildings in Türkiye have either collapsed or sustained serious damage, according to Türkiye's Minister of Environment and Urban Planning, Murat Kurum. Türkiye's Vice President Fuat Oktay, said more than 1 million people were being housed in temporary shelters.
Here is how you can help the earthquake victims.
Following are the latest updates:
0233 GMT — Cuba to send medics to assist in earthquake relief
Cuba has prepared to send healthcare workers to Türkiye and Syria, joining a growing group of nations providing rescue and medical aid to the region after a devastating earthquake this week.
Cuban authorities in Havana said 32 medics were set to depart for Türkiye. Earlier in the week, Syrian regime envoy Ghassan Obeid told Cuban state-run media that 27 Cuban medics would be headed to Syria.
Cuba has sent its "armies of white coats" to disaster sites and disease outbreaks around the world since its 1959 leftist revolution.
Its doctors were in the front lines in the fight against cholera in Haiti and against ebola in West Africa in the 2010s.
'Ridiculous' message saying '8' draws rescuers toward Türkiye survivor
A 'ridiculous' text message to his cousin has helped rescuers save Mustafa Sami Sahin from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras' Elbistan district, the epicentre of twin quakes that struck southern Türkiye earlier this week.
After many unsuccessful text messages attempts from the rubble of a seven-storey building for 102 hours, 33-year-old Sahin's mobile phone misfired a random text message saying "8" to his cousin, who then called rescuers.
"It wasn't a deliberate text message. None of the messages I tried to text were sent. A ridiculous message was sent to my cousin in Tekirdag by chance," Sahin told Anadolu Agency on Friday.
"Until the text message, no one had any idea whether I was under the wreckage, dead or alive, or somewhere else."
2130 GMT — Albania declares day of national mourning
The Albanian government has declared one day of national mourning.
Prime Minister Edi Rama said February 13 will be observed as a national day of mourning for the victims of the quakes.
''A sign of solidarity with friendly Türkiye, which was near us when a similar disaster hit Albania a while ago,'' said Rama.
Albania has sent a 73-person search and rescue team to Türkiye. The team continues its efforts in southern Adana province.
Drone footage in southern Türkiye has shown fissures slicing and cracking across fields, roads, streams and hillsides, caused by a massive earthquakes that struck the region at the start of the week.
2100 GMT — Türkiye quakes drone footage shows fissures slicing through land
Drone footage in southern Türkiye has shown fissures slicing and cracking across fields, roads, streams and hillsides, caused by massive earthquakes that struck the region at the start of the week.
One jagged scar of bare and cracked earth, opened up by Monday's quakes, cut deep into embankments and ran along expanses of open land up to the horizon near the town of Tevekkeli, in Türkiye's southern province of Kahramanmaras.
When it hit a highway, it smashed the tarmac and metal barriers. Huge boulders had tumbled down the hills on the side of the road.
Drivers had to wait in turn to navigate the fractured route.
Near the village of Tepehan, huge gorges cut through groves close to a house, leaving islands of grey-brown land and trees perched on the edge of new precipices. Other trees lay uprooted on their sides.
Full story here:
2018 GMT — Turkish restaurant owners feed earthquake survivors
Restaurant owners from across Türkiye travelled to Hatay, one of the regions worst-hit by Monday's devastating earthquake, to dish up kebabs, rice and other hot meals to disaster survivors.
Omer Faruk, who runs a restaurant in Konya in central Türkiye, travelled to a tent city housing those who had lost their homes. Some 550 white tents have been erected next to Hatay Stadium - usually used for soccer - in the south of the country.
"We are providing food to our citizens who are suffering due to the earthquake. We are all restaurateurs. We are here to help quake victims."
1717 GMT — At least nine children pulled alive from rubble
On the fifth day after a significant earthquake slammed Türkiye and neighbouring Syria, the rescue of little children has boosted the morale of weary crews looking for survivors.
At least nine children were rescued, videos released by disaster services showed.
The rescuers worked through the night amid the wreckage of many destroyed buildings, including specialised teams from several nations. They often asked for stillness while they listened for any sounds of life coming from broken concrete mounds in the frigid conditions.
1320 GMT - UN aid trucks cross into northwestern Syria
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said 14 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed into northern Syria from Türkiye.
“These convoys are carrying electric heaters, tents, blankets and other items to assist these people who have been displaced as a result of this catastrophic earthquake,” said spokesperson Paul Dillon, adding that the aid was bound for Idlib.
1300 GMT - Erdogan says earthquake response not as fast as government wanted
Turkish authorities’ response to the massive earthquakes in the country’s southeast is not as fast as the government wanted, President Tayyip Erdogan has said.
Speaking in Adiyaman province, which was also hit by the earthquakes, Erdogan said some people were robbing markets and attacking businesses, adding that a state of emergency declared in the area will allow the state to impose the necessary penalties.
1240 GMT – Türkiye's through-wall radar saving lives
A radar system developed by the Turkish state-run defence company STM is saving lives in the earthquake-ravaged areas of Türkiye.
The through-the-wall DAR radar system can locate people through mounds of debris.
STM lead technician Yusuf Hayirli told Anadolu the DAR radar system designed for the defence industry was used out of its field for the first time in an earthquake zone.
"We assist the teams in locating people based on breathing and hand-arm movements," Hayirli said.
The teams pulled out more than 20 earthquake victims alive from collapsed buildings through DAR radar system.
"We witnessed a 7-month-old baby pulled to safety after being trapped under the rubble," Hayirli added.
1050 GMT – Uzbek rescue team pulls man alive in Hatay province after 100 hours
An Uzbek rescue team pulled a man alive from under the rubble of a collapsed building on Friday, in another miraculous rescue in southeastern Türkiye after 100 hours since powerful earthquakes hit the region.
Naim Bayasli, 32, was rescued from under the rubble of a building in Hatay province.
1045 GMT – Turkish foreign minister, UN relief chief discuss post-quake situation
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has met UN relief chief Martin Griffiths to discuss the situation in Türkiye’s earthquake-hit southeastern region.
At the meeting in the capital Ankara, Cavusoglu and Griffiths, the undersecretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, exchanged views on the activities of the UN and its agencies in the disaster zones.
Cavusoglu separately held phone calls with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, and Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
0948 GMT – 66-year-old Murat Vural rescued 103 hours after first quakes
Turkish teams rescued 66-year-old Murat Vural in the province of Gaziantep, Islahiye district, 103 hours after the first of two powerful earthquakes.
Vural was carried out of the debris after 10 hours of work by members of the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) and police.
This came two hours after a similar rescue story in Hatay province, where a miner crew from Zonguldak province saved a mother, Ihlas Ayaz, and her son Yigit.
UMKE and police teams in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras province saved the life of Mustafa Sahin Sami 102 hours after the first quake. The teams worked 12 hours to rescue the 33-year-old man from the rubble of a seven-story building.
Also in Kahramanmaras, a 15-year-old girl was rescued by Azerbaijani teams.
The Syrian-origin Ayse Mustafa was saved after 103 hours.
Three-and-half-year-old Zeynep Ela Parlak was also pulled out of the rubble in Hatay, also 103 hours since the initial tremor.
0938 GMT – 60-year-old man rescued from rubble 104 hours after quakes
Sixty-year-old Eyup Ak was pulled out alive from the rubble of a collapsed building, in another miraculous rescue in southeastern Türkiye over four days since powerful earthquakes shook the region.
Saved in Adiyaman province, Ak was carried on a stretcher to receive medical attention following his rescue 104 hours after the first of the two earthquakes.
0935 GMT – Australia dispatches 72 search, rescue specialists to Türkiye
"Australian search and rescue teams are now en route to Türkiye following the devastating earthquakes. The 72 search and rescue specialists will deliver supplies and assist crews on the ground. We thank them for their service and our hearts go with them on their deployment," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong tweeted.
She expressed gratitude to the National Emergency Management Agency, Fire and Rescue NSW (New South Wales), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Ambassador to Ankara Miles Armitage, and the defence forces for their assistance in coordinating this massive effort during these challenging times.
0930 GMT – Germany launches airlift in support of quake victims in Türkiye
Germany is sending three planes carrying tents and other relief supplies to earthquake victims in Türkiye, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
“This is a natural disaster with incredible dimensions, we are really deeply affected. We stand with Türkiye,” Faeser told a joint news conference with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the Wunstorf Air Base.
Faeser said three military cargo planes will take off from the military base on Friday, with 40 tons of relief supplies organised by the THW, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief.
Defense Minister Pistorius stressed that the German Air Force will continue these flights as long as it is necessary.
0805 GMT – Two sisters pulled alive from rubble in southeastern Türkiye
Rescue teams pulled alive two sisters from the rubble, more than four days after powerful earthquakes hit southeastern Türkiye.
Ayfer, 15, was rescued in Kahramanmaras province after being trapped for 99 hours.
Her 13-year-old sister Fatma was also saved two hours later, and both were given medical attention.
0718 GMT — Civil engineer, 30, rescued from rubble 101 hours after quakes in Türkiye
A 30-year-old civil engineer was pulled out alive from the rubble of a collapsed building on the fifth day since the quake hit southeastern Türkiye.
Saved in Hatay's Antakya district after being trapped for 101 hours, Hikmet Yigitbas was carried on a stretcher to receive medical attention after his rescue.
Rescuer Mustafa Aydin spoke to Yigitbas during the rescue effort and promised to hug him when he was pulled out of the rubble.
0553 GMT — New Zealand pledges another $1.9M in humanitarian aid for Türkiye, Syria
New Zealand announced an additional NZ$3 million (approximately $1.89 million) in humanitarian assistance to support relief efforts in Türkiye and Syria.
Acting Foreign Minister David Parker said in a statement that the latest announcement brings New Zealand's total humanitarian funding for the earthquake response to nearly $2.84 million.
“It is clear the earthquakes have been devastating for the people of Türkiye and Syria. New Zealand’s thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected,” Parker stated.
0405 GMT — US waives sanctions for humanitarian aid to Syria
The US eased sanctions on Syria to allow the flow of humanitarian assistance following the deadly earthquakes that hit southeastern Türkiye which affected people on both sides of the border.
The US Treasury Department issued a license that authorises for 180 days all transactions related to earthquake relief that would be otherwise prohibited by the Syrian sanctions regulations.
'' As international allies and humanitarian partners mobilize to help those affected, I want to make very clear that U.S. sanctions in Syria will not stand in the way of life-saving efforts for the Syrian people,'' said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
'0350 GMT — Earthquake in Türkiye's Kahramanmaras biggest in over 100 years – expert
The region between Türkiye and Syria has not witnessed such a big earthquake as the one that occurred this week in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras for over 100 years, the director of the Swiss Seismology Service said.
Stefan Wiemer spoke to Swiss television channel SRF, which broadcasts in German, about Monday’s magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes which affected 10 provinces in southeastern Türkiye.
0105GMT — WHO chief says heading for Syria following deadly quake
World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he was heading to Syria which has been hit, along with neighbouring Türkiye, by a massive earthquake which has left over 21,000 people dead.
"On my way to #Syria, where @WHO is supporting essential health care in the areas affected by the recent earthquake, building on our long-standing work across the country," the WHO chief tweeted.
At the same time, the United Nations announced that its Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Martin Griffiths would head this weekend to areas hit by the quake in both Türkiye and Syria.
