Rescue workers in Türkiye have pulled out alive a 17-year-old girl from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, 248 hours after the earthquake hit the area, according to state-run broadcaster TRT Haber.
By Thursday afternoon, the death had topped 42 000 since the 7.8 magnitude quake rocked parts of Türkiye and Syria 10 days ago. Some people are believed to be still trapped under collapsed buildings while thousands have been injured.
Turkish authorities said 36187 people have been killed in the country while the Syrian government and the UN said more than 5 800 people have died in Syria.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams continue to find survivors. A mother and her two children were rescued in Türkiye’s Antakya, 228 hours after the first earthquake.
The World Health Organisation said the zone of greatest concern is northwestern Syria, where anger is growing over the slow delivery of humanitarian assistance. The UN is appealing for millions to help about 5-million Syrian survivors with shelter, healthcare and food.
Jens Stoltenberg, North Atlantic Treat Organisation (Nato) chief, said: “The earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye constituted the “deadliest natural disaster on the alliance territory” since it was founded in 1949.
Nato member states deployed thousands of emergency response personnel a day after the quakes, including search and rescue teams, doctors and seismic experts, the alliance’s chief said.
Military aircraft from Norway, the UK and the US were sent to Türkiye to transport international aid, he said, adding that Albania, Canada and Germany provided financial aid.
He further shared that the Neto plans to provide tens of thousands of tents to the country in the coming days and weeks.
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