As rescuers brave the freezing cold and race against time to find survivors trapped under the rubble in quake-hit Turkey and Syria, the death toll has reportedly crossed 9,500. At least 7,108 deaths have been reported in Turkey, while 2,530 people have died in Syria. The death toll is likely to keep rising.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that up to 23 million people could be affected by the massive earthquake and urged nations to rush help to the disaster zone.
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces and has started visiting the quake-hit areas including Kahramanmaras, Hatay and Pazarcik. Turkey has been hit by more than 100 aftershocks of magnitude 4 and greater. Even as foreign aid and rescue teams from different countries arrive in Turkey, there is widespread criticism over the government's response to the disaster and the slow pace of rescue efforts. People in the hardest-hit areas said they have been forced to fend for themselves in the sub-zero temperatures as they search for dear ones from under the debris.
Rescue efforts suffer in war-torn Syria
In Syria, already devastated by 11 years of war, the confirmed toll climbed to more than 2,500 overnight, according to the Syrian government and a rescue service operating in the rebel-held northwest, Reuters reported. The Syrian Red Crescent appealed to Western countries to lift sanctions and rush aid. Though world powers have pledged help, rescue teams are struggling to provide emergency assistance to quake-hit areas, especially those that are controlled by the rebels. Diplomatic and logistical hassles have complicated the delivery of aid to the Syrians.
President Bashar al-Assad's government remains a pariah in the West, complicating international efforts to assist those affected by the quake.
China, however, has offered emergency humanitarian aid of 30 million yuan ($4.4m) to Syria, its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, told a regular news briefing.
Tales of survival
Extraordinary stories of survival have emerged from both countries, offering a glimmer of hope for those ravaged by the disaster. A photo of a young Syrian girl protecting her brother under rubble had gone viral after a United Nations representative posted the picture on Twitter.
Touching images of another successful rescue operation showed a young Turkish boy being saved after being pulled out from under a destroyed building after 50 hours. A newborn baby was pulled alive from rubble in Syria, still tied by her umbilical cord to her mother who died in Monday's quake.
