At least 21,051 people died, including 17,674 in Turkey and 3,377 in Syria, following the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey on Monday, the latest official figures indicate today.
A 17-year-old teenager was rescued unharmed this morning after 94 hours trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.
Although experts argue that it is possible to survive for a week or more under the rubble of thousands of destroyed buildings, hopes of finding people still alive in subzero temperatures are dwindling.
Turkish authorities said that more than 120,000 rescue teams are participating in the efforts, with more than 5,500 vehicles, and help from 95 countries, including Portugal and Brazil.
The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has visited the affected cities over the past two days, has been the target of criticism over an alleged slow response to the tragedy, at a time when the Turkish President was preparing to run for re-election on May 14.
The World Health Organization estimates that 23 million people are “potentially exposed, including about five million vulnerable people” and fears a major health crisis, capable of causing even more damage than the earthquake.
Humanitarian organizations are particularly concerned about the spread of the cholera epidemic, which has reappeared in Syria.
