Turkey-Syria earthquake highlights: Toll over 19,300; surpasses Fukushima disaster deaths

Turkey-Syria earthquake highlights: In Syria, on the other hand, more than 3,000 people have lost their lives, according to officials.

Turkey-Syria earthquake highlights: The earthquake that razed thousands of buildings in Turkey and Syria is one of the deadliest quakes worldwide in more than a decade as the death toll kept rising, reaching over 19,000. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal in 2015 killed more than 8,800 people.

The rising death toll comes as rescue crews braved freezing overnight temperatures in earthquake-hit areas in both countries in the hope of reaching survivors and pulling more bodies from the rubble.

Turkey’s foreign minister said that his country was working to get international aid to earthquake-hit areas inside Syria, but damage was making efforts more difficult.

Follow all the updates here:

• Feb 09, 2023 08:07 PM IST

  Turkey, Syria earthquake updates: Toll mounts to more than 19,300

  Death toll in Turkey and Syria mounts to more than 19,300. The number of casualties have surpassed Japan's Fukushima disaster toll, reports Associated Press.

• Feb 09, 2023 08:02 PM IST

  Syrian Embassy appeals India for help 

  Syrian Embassy appeals for help from people in India to come forward & donate in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes in Syria. pic.twitter.com/DhnAxBlF0g

  — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2023

  Syrian Embassy in India on Thursday appealed Indians to come forward and help in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that killed thousands, whereas several are still trapped under the debris. The embassy urged the people of India to contribute in the form of donation. Read more

• Feb 09, 2023 05:56 PM IST

  France says will not change approach towards Syria

  Our political approach is not changing and contrary to (President) Bashar al-Assad, we are working in favour of the Syrian population: Francois Delmas, Foreign ministry's deputy spokesperson

• Feb 09, 2023 05:31 PM IST

  EU leaders express ‘full solidarity’ with Turkey's Erdogan

  We stand ready to further step up our support in close coordination with the Turkish authorities. Our thoughts will continue to be with you and your people: Presidents of 27 EU states in joint message to Turkish counterpart Erdogan 

• Feb 09, 2023 04:52 PM IST

  Turkey will open 2 more border crossings to Syria: Turkish foreign minister

  There is damage to some roads on the Syrian side of the border. There has been some difficulty for our and international aid to get through because of the destruction. Because of this, we are working on the opening of two more posts: Mevlut Cavusoglu

• Feb 09, 2023 04:14 PM IST

  Earthquake toll crosses 17,000-mark

  As many as 17,176 people are confirmed dead due to Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria. 14,014 lives lost in Turkey, and 3,162 in Syria: Officials.

• Feb 09, 2023 03:33 PM IST

  Aid to arrive in Syria from Turkey today: UN official

  We were assured today that we would be able to get through the first assistance today through the Bab al-Hawa crossing: Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria

• Feb 09, 2023 02:58 PM IST

  Makeshift morgue set up outside main hospital in Turkey's Antakya

  A makeshift morgue set up in the parking lot outside the main hospital in the Turkish city of Antakya in the province of Hatay, which has seen at least 3,356 fatalities due to the deadly earthquake. 

• Feb 09, 2023 02:23 PM IST

  After 12 hours, Twitter back in Turkey

  Twitter restored in earthquake-hit Turkey early Thursday after being blocked for nearly 12 hours; service back after Turkish officials held a meeting with Twitter executives.

• Feb 09, 2023 01:39 PM IST

  Rescue ops still going on

  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.

  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.

• Feb 09, 2023 01:03 PM IST

  First aid convoy en route to Turkish border to enter northwest Syria today

  The first convoy of humanitarian assistance for northwest Syrians hit by the earthquake is en route to the southern Turkish border with the hope of crossing on Thursday, two aid sources told Reuters.

• Feb 09, 2023 12:42 PM IST

  ‘ No sign of life…’: Kindergarten teacher shares her ordeal

  Semire Coban, a kindergarten teacher, in Turkey's Hatay province said, “My nephew, my sister-in-law and my sister-in-law's sister are in the ruins. They are trapped under the ruins and there is no sign of life”.

  "We can't reach them. We are trying to talk to them, but they are not responding... We are waiting for help. It has been 48 hours now," she said.

• Feb 09, 2023 11:55 AM IST

  Death toll rises to over 16,000 in Turkey, Syria quake: officials

  Death toll rises to over 16,000 in Turkey, Syria quake, reports AFP citing officials.

• Feb 09, 2023 11:44 AM IST

  Turkey stock market to be closed for 5 business days

  Turkey’s stock exchange canceled trades made on Wednesday and said the market would be closed for five business days, reported Bloomberg.

• Feb 09, 2023 11:43 AM IST

  Turkey to open two new border crossings for aid: Foreign Minister

  Turkey is working to open two new border crossings to allow more aid into Syria, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, reported Bloomberg

• Feb 09, 2023 11:11 AM IST

  Death toll in Turkey, Syria surpasses 15,000

  12,391 people had been confirmed killed in Turkiye after Monday's early morning earthquake and series of aftershocks. On the other side of the border in Syria, another 2,902 people have been reported to have been killed, reports AP. Read more

• Feb 09, 2023 11:09 AM IST

  Rescue operation still going on

  Rescue workers continued to pull living people from the damaged buildings but hope was starting to fade amid freezing temperatures more than three full days since the quake hit.

• Feb 09, 2023 10:30 AM IST

  The miracle survivors 

  After 73 hours, a five-year-old girl and her parents were evacuated alive from the wreckage of an apartment building toppled by the earthquake in the southeastern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

• Feb 09, 2023 10:02 AM IST

  Taiwan president to donate a month's salary for Turkey relief efforts

  Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai will each donate a month's salary for Turkish earthquake relief efforts, the presidential office said on Thursday, adding to existing aid already sent by the island.

• Feb 09, 2023 09:49 AM IST

  Turkey restores access to Twitter: Report

  Turkey has restored access to Twitter as the social-media platform agreed to do more to tackle disinformation in the aftermath of the quakes, Hurriyet newspaper reported. The country is also working to open two new border crossings to allow more aid into Syria, according to Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

• Feb 09, 2023 09:34 AM IST

  Residents describe horror following devastating earthquake

  "Even the buildings that haven't collapsed were severely damaged. There are now more people under the rubble than those above it," a resident named Hassan, who did not provide his full name, said in the rebel-held Syrian town of Jindayris.

• Feb 09, 2023 09:03 AM IST

  Sixth 'Operation Dost' flight reaches Turkey with relief assistance

  The sixth plane from India carrying rescue personnel, essentials and medical equipment for earthquake relief efforts have reached Turkey, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.

  The sixth flight carries more rescue teams, dog squads, and essential medicines for the quake- hit country.

• Feb 09, 2023 08:53 AM IST

  Turkey's decision for residents amid aftershock fears

  City authorities have barred thousands of residents from going back to apartment blocks that are considered at risk from aftershocks shaking the region each day.

• Feb 09, 2023 08:22 AM IST

  Turkey earthquake: How long can people survive in the rubble? Experts say this

  Search teams from around the world have joined local emergency personnel in Turkey and Syria to look for victims from this week's devastating earthquake that has killed thousands. Read more

• Feb 09, 2023 07:58 AM IST

  Rescue ops in Syria

  The United Nations' regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria Crisis says access to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing along the Turkish-Syrian border continues to be impeded, preventing trucks carrying humanitarian aid from reaching people in Syria’s northwest.

• Feb 09, 2023 07:36 AM IST

  Turkey: With temp dropping to -5° C, quake survivors spend nights in cars, tents

  Temperatures in the quake-stricken Turkish city of Gaziantep plunged to minus five degrees Celsius early Thursday but thousands of families spent the night in cars and makeshift tents -- too scared or banned from returning to their homes. Read more

• Feb 09, 2023 06:55 AM IST

  Elon Musk on twitter in Turkey

  Twitter CEO Elon Musk in a tweet said Twitter has been informed by Turkey's government that access will be re-enabled shortly to the social media platform. Twitter has been restricted in Turkey, the Netblocks internet observatory earlier said. Read more

• Feb 09, 2023 06:47 AM IST

  Turkey's President admits 'shortcomings' as quake toll tops 15,000

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded "shortcomings" after criticism of his government's response to the massive earthquake that has killed over 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

• Feb 09, 2023 06:38 AM IST

  EU's special donor conference for Turkey and Syria

  The European Union says it will hold a special donor conference in the coming months to raise funds for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.

  EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the 27-member bloc is sending the message to the people of Turkey and Syria that it will support their communities because “no one should be left alone when a tragedy like this hits a people.”