Death toll after powerful earthquake in Turkey and Syria rises to over 41,000

The death toll of earthquake from February 6 to Turkey and Syria stood at more than 41,000, according to updated official figures, while The United Nations anxious $1 billion cope with growth humanitarian crisis.

Eleven days after the earthquake, rescuers managed to extract a woman from the rubble. 17 year old teenager.

“He looked healthy. He opened and closed his eyes“, has indicated Ali Akdoğancoal miner, after participating in the rescue of Aleyna Olmez in Kahramanmaras, a town near the epicenter of the earthquake.

However, hopes of finding survivors were largely dashed.

Many in the affected areas are facing a parallel emergency as they try to retrieve their belongings in extreme cold, with no food, water or toilets, increasing the chances of the disaster escalating due to illness.

“The needs are great, the people are suffering and there is no time to waste.“, alerted the UN secretary generalAntonio Guterres, in a press release, where he asks for funds to help the victims.

He assured that the contributions would relieve for three months the 5.2 million people.

The money would “enable humanitarian organizations to rapidly scale up life-saving support” in areas such as food security, protection, education, water and shelter, he added.

“I urge the international community to step up and fully fund this crucial effort in response to one of the worst natural disasters of our time.”

Officials and doctors say that 38,044 people died in Turkey and 3,688 in Syria since the February 6 earthquake, for a total of 41,732 deaths confirmed.

Turkish President, Tayip Erdogandismissed accusations that his government failed to respond to the country’s deadliest natural disaster in recent times.

Aleyna Olmez17 years old, was rescued 11 days later of the event Magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

“We have been working here, in this building, for a week now… We came hoping to hear something,” said a miner who took part in the rescue efforts at Kahramanmarasa town near the epicenter of the earthquake.

“We are happy when we find something alive, even if it is a cat.“, he added.

As a young man, his uncle, crying, embraced all the rescuers one by one, telling them, “We will never forget you.”

The canal NTV then indicated that Neslihan Kilic, a 20-year-old woman was rescued 258 hours after first tremor in this same city.

According CNN Turkeymore than 250 people have died at the compound where young Kilic was found alive.

Turkey has suspended rescue efforts in some areas. He Syrian government he took the same measure in areas under his control.

On another side, a 55 year old man and coming from Ankara, was arrested in Turkey’s southern province of Hatay while trying to steal a baby in a hospital, taking advantage of the chaos generated by the earthquake, the official news agency reported Anadolu.

The man introduced himself as a former police officer of the establishment, located in the city of samandagand claimed a baby, stating her name, according to Anadolu.

He was arrested and handcuffed, and was in possession of several false identity papers.

(With information from AFP)

Continue reading: