Death toll in Turkey-Syria earthquake tops 25,000 as survivors dwindle
A grim milestone was reached on Saturday as the death toll from devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria topped more than 25,000, The Associated Press reported.
Rescuers continued to look for survivors among the rubble of the quake, a 7.8-magnitude temblor that struck on Feb. 6. The earthquake destroyed hundreds of buildings, with BBC News reporting that structures "as large as 12 stories high are now flattened" with "huge mountains of rubble as far as the eye can see."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has referred to the earthquake as the "disaster of the century," and Turkish officials said that a 310-mile diameter region was affected by the shake, an area home to more than 13.5 million people in Turkey and more in Syria.
A massive rescue operation was launched, but hope is fading as freezing temperatures and lack of food and water make finding additional survivors less likely. With the World Health Organization's original estimate of 20,000 deaths now far exceeded, it is unclear exactly how many more fatalities will occur.
Despite the devastation, though, there have been remarkable stories of survival against all odds.
AP noted that a number of "dramatic rescues were being broadcast on Turkish television." This includes the rescue of a family of three, including a 12-year-old girl, pulled from the rubble alive in the city of Kahramanmaras.
The rescue followed the discovery "of a family of five from a mound of debris in the hard-hit town of Nurdagi," AP reported. "Rescuers cheered and chanted, 'God is Great!' as the last family member, the father, was lifted to safety."
You may also like
Millions to face 'hunger cliff' as emergency SNAP benefits come to an end
