Rescuers continued to search the wreckage for survivors trapped in the rubble left by devastating earthquakes before they succumb to cold weather in southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria. As the combined death toll in Turkey and Syria climbed to more than 12,000 on Wednesday, despair and anger were growing over the pace of rescue efforts. Read FRANCE 24's liveblog below to see how the day's events unfolded.
This live page is no longer being updated.
- The death toll from the massive earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria early Monday has topped more than 15,000, making the quake the deadliest in more than a decade. Officials and medics said 9,057 people had died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria, bringing the total confirmed death toll to 12,049.
- More than 53,000 people were injured in Turkey, according to the WHO representative for Turkey. There were no official reports on the number of injured in Syria.
- Thousands of children may have been killed, according to UNICEF.
- Monday's quake, followed hours later by a second one almost as powerful, toppled thousands of buildings including hospitals, schools and apartment blocks, leaving thousands of people homeless.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces. During a visit to heavily affected southern Hatay province, the Turkish president acknowledged "shortcomings" after criticism of his government's response to the disaster.
- More than 12,000 Turkish search and rescue personnel are working in the affected areas, along with 9,000 troops.
- More than 70 countries have offered rescue teams and other aid.
- The UN says it’s “exploring all avenues” to get supplies to rebel-held northwestern Syria, and it has released $25 million from its emergency fund to help kick-start the humanitarian response in Turkey and Syria.
(If the live blog is not visible, please refresh the page.)
