ISLAMABAD: The death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria crossed the 5000 mark, as hectic rescue and recovery operations were underway in a bid to rescue as many people trapped in the rubble as possible in freezing weather, international media reported Tuesday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared seven days of national mourning and three month state of emergency in 10 provinces worst affected by the deadly earthquake, BBC news reported on Tuesday.
Erdogan said the death toll in Turkey has risen to 3,549 people, while more than 1,600 people are reported to have died in Syria.
Meanwhile, the world leaders have pledged to send aid after Turkiye issued an international appeal for help.
Authorities fear the death toll from Monday’s predawn magnitude 7.8 temblor, followed by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake and several aftershocks will continue to climb as rescuers looked for survivors among tangles of metal and concrete spread across a region.
Adelheid Marschang, a WHO senior emergency officer, has said about 23 million people, including 1.4 million children, are likely to be affected by the quake, The Guardian reported.
