Death Toll from Turkey Earthquake Surpasses 21,000
The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has reached 21,051 people.
Five days after the devastating earthquake in Turkey, which is considered one of the worst natural disasters of the century, rescue workers continue their efforts to save people trapped under the rubble.
So far, this earthquake has claimed the lives of at least 21,051 people in Turkey and Syria. As time passes, hopes of finding more survivors trapped under concrete debris diminish, as aftershocks measuring 4 to 5 on the Richter scale continue to shake cities, and there is a risk of debris shifting with many people still trapped underneath.
Hundreds of rescue workers from Malaysia, Israel, Spain, Kazakhstan, India, and other countries have been sent to Turkey to rescue people, working day and night in Turkey’s harsh cold to save as many lives as possible. The Netherlands has also sent a large number of rescue dogs and two planes carrying supplies and heating equipment to Turkey.
Among the fatalities in this earthquake are several Iranian athletes and citizens. Several members of Iran’s national amputee football team, who were in Turkey to play for a club, were trapped under rubble in the city of Malatya. Mohammad Reza Mirahmadi, Mehdi Sedaei, and several others remain trapped under the debris, and rescue workers have suspended rescue operations due to the risk of collapse of a neighboring building adjacent to the hotel where the athletes were staying, based on sounds heard from under the rubble. They are seeking alternative ways to rescue the people trapped, which is why no information about the fate of these individuals is currently available.
Meanwhile, France and Britain provided a total equivalent of 16.5 million euros to humanitarian organizations and rescue workers operating in the affected areas of Syria. The World Bank also announced it would provide 1.78 billion dollars in aid to Turkey.
The Turkish government has once again declared a disaster warning for the second time, given the significant intensity of the aftershocks.
