ISTANBUL: As per the latest update, at least 38,044 people have been confirmed killed, AFAD, the country’s disaster agency said early on Friday morning. With this the death toll from the Turkey-Syria earthquakes is nearing 44,000.
Reports of miracle continue to pour in, with four people pulled out of collapsed buildings more than 10 days after the earthquake struck. A 29 year in Kahramanmaras was rescued from the rubbl after 258 hours. It was even more delightful after a 12 year old and two men from Antakya were rescued after 260 hours beneath the rubble.
Dozens of arms frantically reach for heaters and blankets handed out by a private donor, illustrating the desperation and rage gripping swathes of Turkey 11 days after its disastrous quake. Many in the Syrian border region town of Samandag listened to their relatives and friends slowly die under the rubble as they waited for rescuers who came too late.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has launched an appeal for USD1 billion to help victims in Turkey of last week’s catastrophic earthquake that killed thousands of people and left millions more in desperate need of aid. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the funds would provide humanitarian relief for three months to 5.2 million people.