Earthquake Death Toll Passes 16.000 in Syria, Turkey
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, 80 hours after the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey, the toll reached 16.456 deaths and around 70.000 injuries.
According to official statements of the authorities in the Syrian government, the Turkish-backed opposition in northwest Syria, and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) areas, the total number of the victims in Syria has reached 3.583 deaths and more than 6.342 injuries.
In Turkey, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced that 12.873 people died and 62.000 were injured, the majority of them are in Kahramanmaraş city (the earthquake epicenter) north of Gaziantep province.
The figures are expected to rise even more as hundreds of families are still trapped under the rubble.
The freezing temperatures impede search and rescue operations, dramatically worsening the crisis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the fatalities number to pass 20.000.