Earthquake in Turkey and Syria: death toll passes 45,000

As a result of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 6, more than 45,000 people have already been confirmed dead.

It is expected that this is not the final number of victims, and the death toll will continue to rise, Reuters reports.

At the moment, the number of dead in Turkey is 39,672, while neighboring Syria reported more than 5,800 dead. The number of victims in Syria has not changed for several days.

It is noted that many international rescue teams have already left the huge earthquake zone. However, local teams continued to search the destroyed buildings on Saturday. They hope to find survivors against all odds.

Experts emphasise that most rescues take place within 24 hours after the earthquake.

However, 12 days after the earthquake, three people, including a child, were rescued alive from the rubble of a building in the southern city of Antakya in Turkey on Saturday. They've been under the ruins for 296 hours after the earthquake.

Aid agencies say the victims will need help for months to come, as most critical infrastructure has been destroyed.

In neighboring Syria, already ravaged by more than a decade of civil war, most of the casualties are in the northwest. The rebels control this area. They are fighting President Bashar al-Assad. It is this conflict that has complicated relief efforts for people affected by the earthquake.

Neither Turkey nor Syria has reported how many people are announced missing after the earthquake.

Families are still waiting for their relatives in Turkey. They are increasingly outraged by corrupt construction practices and deeply flawed urban development that has led to the destruction of thousands of homes and businesses.

Turkey has promised to investigate all those suspected of responsibility for the collapse of the buildings. They have already issued an arrest warrant for more than 100 suspects, including developers.

On Thursday, the United Nations appealed for more than $1 billion in aid operations for Turkey and announced an appeal for $400 million for Syrians.

On February 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree ordering to send humanitarian aid to Turkey to help "overcome the consequences" of a devastating earthquake. Several dozens emergency workers have been sent to Turkey to assist in clearing the rubble.