Europe 1 with AFP 07:21, February 09, 2023
While a race against time and the cold continues to extricate survivors of the violent earthquakes which ravaged the Region, the death toll rose again on Thursday, exceeding 15,800 dead in the two countries.
Some 12,873 people died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria, according to authorities and medical sources.
Relief workers in Turkey and Syria continue Thursday their efforts in freezing cold to search for survivors in the rubble, the chances of survival dwindling three days after the earthquake which has already killed more than 15,800 people.
The first 72 hours are crucial for finding survivors, with more than 90% of survivors being rescued during this window, said Ilan Kelman, a disaster researcher at University College London.
As the excavators work day and night, the fresh drop in temperatures makes living conditions hellish for those survivors who have nowhere to go.
Some 12,873 people died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria, according to authorities and medical sources, bringing the death toll to 15,865.
>> More information to follow…