Turkey

ANKARA/DAMASCUS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Monday's devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria has risen to 15,383, according to data released by authorities and rescuers.

The number of people killed in Türkiye due to the devastating earthquake has reached 12,391, the country's Anadolu agency reported on Thursday, citing the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

08 Feb 2023; MEMO: The death toll from the 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that hit Turkiye and Syria in the early hours of Monday morning has now surpassed 11,000.

The World Health Organisation has estimated that the final figure will be closer to 20,000 and that 23 million could be impacted.

The number of dead in Turkiye has reached 8,754 and in Syria 2,470 after the worst earthquake in decades levelled buildings, destroyed bridges and cut power across the region.

08 Feb 2023; MEMO: Flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, is planning to evacuate 30,000 people from southern Turkiye after the region was hit by powerful earthquakes, an official announced, Anadolu News Agency reports.

08 Feb 2023; MEMO: A kebab restaurant owner in southern Turkiye's Adana province has opened up his three restaurants to survivors of Monday's earthquakes, Anadolu News Agency reports.

"After the first earthquake, we thought the safest place to go would be the restaurant," Salih Oral told Anadolu.

"It was raining," he recalled. "We saw people waiting in their cars, sitting on the pavement or just milling around without a place to go."

08 Feb 2023; MEMO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan yesterday declared a three-month state of emergency in ten southern provinces hit by devastating earthquakes on Monday.

"We are facing one of the biggest disasters, not only in the history of our republic, but also in our region and the world," Erdogan said in televised remarks.

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (AP) — Rescuers pulled more survivors from beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings Thursday, but hopes were starting to fade of finding many more people alive more than three days after a catastrophic earthquake and series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than 16,000.

Emergency crews working through the night in the city of Antakya were able to pull a young girl, Hazal Guner, from the ruins of a building and also rescued her father, Soner Guner, two hours later, news agency IHA reported.

KAHRAMANMARAS/ANTAKYA, Turkey, Feb 8 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday admitted to problems with his government's initial response to a devastating earthquake in southern Turkey amid anger from those left destitute and frustrated over the slow arrival of rescue teams.

Erdogan, who contests an election in May, said on a visit to the disaster zone that operations were now working normally and promised no one would be left homeless, as the combined death toll across Turkey and neighbouring Syria climbed above 11,000.

NURDAGI, Turkey (AP) — Rescuers raced against time early Wednesday to pull 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 7,700 and was expected to rise further.

The last two days have brought dramatic rescues, including small children emerging from mounds of debris more than 30 hours after Monday’s pre-dawn quake. But there was also widespread despair and growing anger at the slow pace of rescue efforts in some areas.

07 Feb 2023; MEMO: Former Newcastle and Chelsea forward Christian Atsu has been found alive after being rescued from building rubble in Turkiye after the devastating earthquake which rocked the southern part of country and neighbouring Syria yesterday.

07 Feb 2023; MEMO: Turkish Airlines have cancelled 170 flights scheduled yesterday, including 152 via Istanbul Airport and 18 via Sabiha Gokcen Airport as the city braces for snow, Anadolu news agency reported.

Yahya Ustun, Turkish Airlines' senior vice president for media relations, said Pegasus Airlines has also cancelled all its flights to Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul.