The death toll from the earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria has climbed past 9,400, making it the deadliest seismic event in more than a decade.
Turkish authorities updated the country’s death toll to 6,957 on Wednesday. In neighbouring Syria, the government has reported 1,250 deaths from Monday’s pre-dawn earthquake in the areas it controls. The White Helmets, volunteer first responders in a rebel-held enclave, have reported 1,280 deaths.
More than 30,000 people have been injured, and authorities assume the death toll to continue to climb as rescue workers race to pull survivors from the rubble in cities and towns across a wide area.
In northern Syria, some international aid is getting through, but access to rebel-held areas is severely limited because of damaged roads.
Dramatic footage has emerged of rescues – one family of six were pulled alive from the rubble in the Syrian city of Idlib.
The first 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Gaziantep in the early hours of Monday, followed by a 7.5 magnitude tremor hours later.
(Compiled)
