Quake toll reaches 24000 in Turkey, Syria

As rescuers resumed their round-the-clock search for survivors, the death toll from the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria topped 24,000 people.

According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), there have already been 20,665 fatalities.

It stated that more than 166,000 people were working in the rescue and relief efforts and that almost 93,000 casualties had been evacuated from the earthquake zone in southern Turkey.

More than 3,500 deaths have been reported in Syria in the meantime.

The UN cautioned that following the earthquake, which left up to 5.3 million people homeless in Syria alone, at least 870,000 people in the two nations urgently required food.

The southern region of Hatay will get two humanitarian relief ships from Turkey’s Karadeniz Holding that can each house about 1,500 people.

According to the corporation, “the company is coordinating with the authorities to deliver the lifeships Suheyla Sultan and Rauf Bey to Iskenderun-Hatay.”

The so-called “lifeships,” which were created for humanitarian relief operations, contain sleeping quarters, refrigerators, TVs, and heating systems, as well as resources for food, healthcare, and education, it was stated.

“We devoted all of our energy to this endeavour in order to help others in the earthquake-affected region. We want to give them a safe home as quickly as we can,” the organisation stated in a statement.

Due to a worsening “security situation,” the Austrian army on Saturday halted rescue efforts in earthquake-devastated Turkey.

Without providing further information, he informed the AFP news agency that “clashes between factions” had occurred.

The spokesperson stated that the 82 members of the Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit were taking refuge “at a base camp with other foreign organisations, awaiting instructions” in the southern Hatay province.

They had 45 tonnes of equipment when they arrived in Hatay on Tuesday and were able to extricate nine persons from the wreckage.

He stated that although their planned Thursday return to Austria is now being examined. the 7.8-magnification