ISTANBUL: Rescuers raced against time early on Wednesday to pull out survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after an earthquake tore through southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria. The death toll climbed above 8,000 and was expected to rise further.

Amongst infrastructure damage was identified a 2,200-year-old Roman monument, The Gaziantep Castle that was destroyed after Monday’s deadly earthquake and collapsed later as the region witnessed several aftershocks.

India’s relief and rescue efforts continue as the second C-17 Globemaster III heavy lift aircraft of the Indian Airforce reached Şanlıurfa in Turkey. A 30 bedded medical facility with a 45-member medical team, including critical care specialists & surgeons from the Indian Army field hospital was dispatched.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday said that as many as 76 countries and 14 international organizations have come forward to help after three deadly earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria. As many as 3,319 search-and-rescue personnel arrived in Turkey from 36 countries as of Tuesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the affected areas after quakes that left more than 5,000 dead and thousands more injured.

“We are declaring 10 cities impacted by the earthquake zone,” he said in a statement, adding that the emergency will last for three months.