Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Tuesday that more than 35,000 people have died in Turkiye as a result of last week’s earthquake, making it the deadliest such disaster since the country’s founding 100 years ago. Confirmed deaths passed those recorded from the massive Erzincan earthquake in 1939 that killed around 33,000 people. Syrian government, UN say more than 5,800 people dead in Syria.
In a miracle during the rescue ops, a 42-year-old woman was rescued alive in Turkey’s Kahramanmaras, 222 hours after earthquake. TV footage showed rescue workers carrying the woman, identified as Melike Imamoglu, strapped on a stretcher to a nearby ambulance. The astounding rescues comes as survivor discoveries have slowed on the ninth day of rescue operations. Kahramanmaras is close the to the epicentre of last week’s earthquakes.
Meanwhile, a caravan of 11 United Nations trucks entered Syria through the re-opened Bab al-Salama border point, after Damascus agreed to let the world body use the crossing for aid.
So far the UN has provided $50 million through its central emergency response fund. Columbai and Pakistan joined the team of relief providers. On Tuesday, Colombia sent a team of 20 experts to Turkey to support the disaster victims, according to authorities. Also it sent six tons of humanitarian aid that consisted of a large number of blankets, winter clothes, and hygiene materials. Pakistan sent 6.7 tons of relief goods, primarily winterised tents for Turkey earthquake victims,