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Massive rescue efforts are underway in Turkey and Syria. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month long state of emergency in 10 provinces as rescuers race against time in Turkey and Syria following Monday's devastating earthquake.
As support arrives from around the world, the scale of the humanitarian crisis is becoming clearer and aid agencies are warning of the difficulties in both reaching survivors and treating the injured.
Here's the latest:
- Rising death toll: At least 7,926 people have now been confirmed dead and nearly 40,000 injured following Monday's quake, according to officials in Turkey and Syria. Agencies have said those numbers could rise significantly as many people remain trapped under the rubble.
- Rescue efforts: Countries and organizations from across the globe have responded to the crisis with money, equipment and boots on the ground. Doctors Without Borders says it has 500 staff working in Syria — some of whom lost family members in the quake. NATO said its members are sending more than 1,400 emergency response personnel, and a US rescue team is expect to land in the Turkish city of Adana on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mexico's beloved rescue dogs are also headed to Turkey.
- Miracle rescue: A newborn baby girl has been rescued from the rubble of her home in northern Syria. Her umbilical cord was still attached to her mother when she was found, a relative told Agence France-Presse. Her mother is believed to have died after giving birth.
- Tough conditions: Extreme winter weather is impacting rescue efforts. Aftershocks are also a potential hazard — at least 125 measuring 4.0 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude quake struck southern Turkey on Monday, according to the US Geological Survey. Though their frequency and magnitude are decreasing, 5.0 to 6.0+ aftershocks are still possible and bring a risk of additional damage to compromised structures and a continued threat to rescue teams and survivors.
- Widespread destruction: Thousands of buildings collapsed in the two nations and aid agencies are warning of “catastrophic” repercussions in northwest Syria, where millions of vulnerable and displaced people were already relying on humanitarian support. Satellite images show the extent of the damage in the Turkish towns of Islahiye and Nurdagi near the quake's epicenter.
- Humanitarian catastrophe: The World Health Organization estimates up to 23 million people could be affected by the earthquake. The situation is particularly dire in Syria, where the UN says nearly 70% of the population was in need of humanitarian assistance before the quake — an issue that has only been compounded by the tragedy. The damage caused a temporary disruption to the UN's cross-border aid into Syria, with UN humanitarian teams exploring all avenues to reach those in need. Meanwhile, hospitals in war-hit Syria are “absolutely overloaded,” UNICEF's representative in Aleppo said.
Grieving father holds 15-year-old daughter's hand after she died in the quake
Heartbreaking photos show a father in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, clutching the lifeless hand of his daughter after she was crushed under concrete in Monday's devastating earthquake.
Mesut Hancer, sitting hunched amid the ruins, can be seen holding onto his 15-year-old child while her body remains trapped beneath the rubble.
Broken glass, destroyed furniture and twisted steel surround the family, as workers conduct a colossal rescue mission in near freezing temperatures.
Nearly 8,000 people have now been confirmed dead and some 40,000 others injured following Monday's quake, according to officials in Turkey and Syria.
Survivors are still being pulled from the rubble more than 48 hours after the quake hit, crushing thousands under their homes.
The rescue of a 14-year-old boy in Kahramanmaras broadcast live on air on Tuesday offered a glimmer of hope that others will survive, but the death toll continues to climb as search teams navigate blocked roads, collapsed infrastructure and violent aftershocks.
Quake toll at over 7,900 deaths — and it's expected to rise significantly higher in Syria, officials say
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi in Gaziantep, Turkey
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has risen to at least 7,926 people, according to officials.
The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the "White Helmets," said on Tuesday that the number of fatalities in rebel-held areas in northwest Syria rose to 1,220 and the number of injured people rose to 2,600.
Those figures are "expected to rise significantly due to the presence of hundreds of families under the rubble," the group added.
"Our teams continue search and rescue operations amid difficult circumstances," it said, describing a tally of more than 400 collapsed buildings, more than 1,300 partially collapsed buildings and thousands of others that were damaged by the early morning quake.
At least 812 deaths have been confirmed in government-controlled parts of Syria, state media SANA reported.
In Turkey, at least 5,894 people are dead and 34,810 injured, Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday.
Mexico's famous rescue dogs are headed to Turkey
From CNN's Sahar Akbarzai
Mexico's famous rescue dogs are headed to Turkey following the catastrophic earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday.
Mexico is famous for its highly trained and specialized search and rescue dogs. The canines are used frequently in Mexico, a country prone to earthquakes due to its location at the edge of the North American tectonic plate.
Julia, Ecko, Orly, Timba, Rex and July are among the 16 dogs who took off Tuesday morning from Mexico City and headed toward Turkey.
"The heart of our rescue team is currently flying to Turkey," Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard tweeted on Tuesday.
Under the instructions of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a specialized inter-institutional urban search and rescue team made up of 150 people, which includes USAR-accredited personnel from the Ministries of Defense, Navy, and the Mexican Red Cross were dispatched Tuesday, according to a news release from Mexico's Foreign Ministry.
"The team includes medical and food service cells, 35 search and rescue experts from the Mexican Army Immediate Emergency Response Team (ERIED) (25 specialists and 10 canine teams), 37 members of the Navy (35 USAR and 2 canine teams), five Foreign Ministry officials and 15 members of the Red Cross," the release said.
The team of dogs will land in Adana, a major southern city near the epicenter of the earthquake, according to the statement.
Read more here.
UN says road leading to only humanitarian aid corridor between Turkey and Syria damaged
From CNN's Jessie Gretener and Rob Frehse
The road leading to the only humanitarian aid border crossing between Turkey and Syria has been damaged by Monday’s earthquake, hampering relief efforts, the United Nations said Tuesday.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres, said at a briefing the crossing is “actually intact” and continues to be used as a trans-shipment hub.
However, he said the road leading to the crossing has been damaged and that’s "temporarily disrupted our ability to fully use it."
The Bab al-Hawa is the only humanitarian aid corridor approved by the UN between Syria and Turkey.
In January, Guterres described the land crossing as an “indispensable lifeline" after the UN Security Council voted to renew the cross-border mechanism a day before it was set to expire.
Turkey has experienced many strong earthquakes. Here's how its past quakes compare
From CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Christian Edwards
When the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey, its impact could be felt as far as Israel and Lebanon — hundreds of kilometers away.
The power of an earthquake is known as magnitude. On the magnitude scale, each increase of one whole number translates to 32 times more energy.
Turkey is no stranger to strong earthquakes. Seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck the country in the past 25 years — but Monday’s was one of the most powerful.
Here's how strong Turkey's quakes have been in more than 80 years:
Before and after satellite images bring earthquake destruction in Turkish towns into full view
From CNN's Paul Murphy
Collapsed buildings, emergency vehicles and tent shelters can be seen in new satellite imagery of earthquake-hit towns in Turkey, revealing the damage from Monday’s devastating earthquake.
The images, captured by Maxar Technologies, show the towns of Islahiye and Nurdagi.
In Islahiye, dozens of buildings across the city have collapsed. In the city center, a group of residential buildings just west of the Hacı Ali Öztürk mosque appear flattened.
See more photos here.
Nearly 70% of Syrian population was in need of humanitarian aid before earthquake
From CNN's Jomana Karadsheh in Adana and Jessie Gretener
The United Nations says nearly 70% of Syria’s population was in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake — an issue that has only been compounded by the tragedy.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for Syria and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis said: "This tragedy will have a devastating impact on many vulnerable families who struggle to provide for their loved ones on a daily basis.”
The statement outlined the impact of Syria’s 12-year war, describing a country as “grappling with economic collapse and severe water, electricity, and fuel shortages.” The pair issued an appeal to all donor partners to “provide the assistance necessary to alleviate suffering.”
The UN and humanitarian partners say they are currently focusing on immediate needs, including food, shelter, non-food items and medicine.
Earthquake aftermath more disastrous in Syria than in Turkey, doctor says
From CNN’s Ana Maria Monjardino in London
The situation on the ground following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday is “more disastrous” in Syria, according to the country director in Gaziantep, Turkey, for the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation (SAMS).
“It’s a disastrous situation both in Turkey and Syria — although in Syria it’s more disastrous,” Dr. Bachir Tajaldin told CNN on Tuesday.
Over a decade of conflict in northern Syria has fostered “a poor economic situation” making it very difficult to respond to the current crisis, according to Tajaldin.
In contrast, “the situation in Turkey is coordinated through a very well-settled government,” he explained, adding that in northern Syria “most of the services are provided by NGOs” due to a lack of long-term investments in early-recovery and infrastructure.
Remember: Northwestern Syria, which has been impacted by the earthquake, has been struggling since the country's civil war. Several parts, including Idlib, are still controlled by anti-government rebels.
“Yesterday [in northern Syria] we evacuated two maternity hospitals because of the physical impact of the earthquake on the infrastructure,” Tajaldin added.
