At least 21,719 people died, including 18,342 in Turkey and 3,377 in Syria, after the earthquakes that occurred on Monday in southern Turkey, the latest official figures indicate this Friday.
A 17-year-old teenager was rescued unharmed this morning after 94 hours trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.
Although experts argue that it is possible to survive for a week or more under the rubble of thousands of destroyed buildings, hopes of finding people alive in sub-zero temperatures are waning.
Turkish authorities said more than 120,000 rescue teams are taking part in the efforts, with more than 5,500 vehicles and help from 95 countries, including Portugal and Brazil.
The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has visited the affected cities over the past two days, has been criticized for an alleged slowness in responding to the tragedy, at a time when the Turkish president was preparing to run for re-election on next May 14.
The World Health Organization estimates that 23 million people are “potentially exposed, including some five million vulnerable people” and fears a major health crisis, capable of causing even more damage than the earthquake.
Humanitarian organizations are particularly concerned about the spread of the cholera epidemic, which has reappeared in Syria.
in update
Source: TSF
