The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 4,800 people and the numbers are expected to rise, according to official sources.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) of Turkey reported that at least 2,921 people have died and thousands more are injured.
Meanwhile, 1,444 have died in Syria, according to figures from the Damascus Government and rescue workers. The death toll is expected to rise in the coming hours.
In 1999, when a tremor of a similar magnitude hit the heavily populated eastern Marmara Sea region near Istanbul, it killed more than 17,000. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the toll from Monday’s earthquakes could pass 20,000.
The two quakes have been the most devastating incident in Turkey and Syria for at least a century. The jolting was so intense as they were felt as far as Cyprus and Cairo with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.7 respectively. The quakes hit at least ten cities in Turkey, which resulted in the collapse of residential buildings in different cities.
In response to the tragic natural incident, rescue teams and groups have kept flowing to Turkey and Syria. Besides offering condolences to the affected people by the deadly earthquakes, the US, UK, Canada, Israel, Russia, China, and Pakistan have sent their rescue teams to extend their support to the affected people in both countries.
In the meantime, The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has called for increased funding for humanitarian aid in Syria, saying that many people in the north-west of the country have already been displaced up to 20 times and that medical care in the region was “strained beyond capacity, even before this tragedy”.
