Earthquakes’ Death Toll Could More Than Double – UN
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The death toll from the earthquake is expected to rise, while hopes of rescuing survivors trapped under the rubble are fading after more than 150 hours since the earthquake on February 6.
The earthquake’s death toll in Syria has reached 3.581, while 5.384 were reportedly injured as of Saturday night.
Rescue efforts have been canceled in most Syrian regions, including Jindires, which is considered the most affected area in Syria.
At dawn on February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing tens thousands and injuring many more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
In Turkey, the death toll has reached 24.617, while 83.000 were injured, according to Turkish Vice President Fuad Oktay.
This brings the official death toll in the two countries, six days after the quake, to 28.198 people.
Doubled outcomes
However, hundreds of families are still trapped under the rubble, suggesting that the death toll might rise significantly and may even exceed 40.000 people.
The intensity of the earthquake and its occurrence in densely populated cities, in addition to slow rescue efforts, all had a major role in the high death toll. The chances of finding survivors among those trapped under mountains of rubble are fading.
UN emergency relief coordinator said that the earthquake death toll in Turkey and Syria is likely to “more than double” after he arrived in southern Turkey on Saturday in order to assess the quake’s damage.
“I think it is difficult to estimate precisely as we need to get under the rubble, but I’m sure it will double or more…That’s terrifying,” Griffiths said in a press statement on Saturday evening.
Survival factors
The chances of survival drop with each passing day, as many victims are badly injured or buried by debris.
Several factors determine the chances of survival, though specialists say that people are unlikely to be found alive after more than four days without water.
Sky News quoted experts saying that the age and physical disposition, whether a person is strong or weak, or whether they are injured, as well as psychological factors, all affect the likelihood of someone’s survival.
The weather conditions were a complicating factor in the rescue efforts, as winter weather in Syria and Turkey have hampered rescue efforts and temperatures have dipped well below freezing.