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Turkey earthquake – latest: Death toll rises as Erdogan admits quake response ‘shortcomings’ and UN aid reaches Syria
UN aid has finally reached Syria as the number of people killed by the earthquake grows – and President Erdogan admits “shortcomings” in the rescue operation, with time running out to find survivors.
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Turkey-Syria Earthquake
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At least 20,000 confirmed dead in Turkey and Syria View post
First UN aid convoy arrives in Syria but crews want different equipment View post
Disaster Zone: The Turkey-Syria Earthquake will be shown on Sky News at 9.30pm on Friday
Watch: Baby girl saved after days under rubble View post | ‘Heartbreaking’ listen for survivors View post | Boy, 2, rescued after 79 hours View post
John Sparks eyewitness: Hope turns into despair as bodies are pulled out View post
Alex Crawford eyewitness: ‘Can anyone hear me?’ Desperate shouts from survivors trapped under rubble View post
Updates from Alex Crawford in Adana, John Sparks in Kahramanmaras, Mark Austin and Yousra Elbagir in Gaziantep, and Kay Burley and Siobhan Robbins in Adiyaman. Live reporting by Faith Ridler
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7m ago
15:25
‘It was like a high-speed train was going past the building’: Aid worker in Syria says he has ‘never seen such destruction’
A British aid worker said he has never experienced “this level of suffering, death and destruction” following the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Atiqur Rahman, who works as head of development for the Global Relief Trust, said he was in Syria when the 7.8 magnitude quake hit and said he thought a “high-speed train was going past the building”.
After hearing the situation in the Turkish city of Antakya was worse, his team drove there to find his colleagues based in the area had all lost their homes – with one fatally crushed by the rubble.
Mr Rahman has urged people to donate something to the relief effort “for the sake of humanity”.
“Our team in Antakya… every single one of them lost their homes,” he said. “Unfortunately our HR officer in Turkey was crushed to death.
“We were actually thinking his whole family passed away but we found two of his sons today. But we are still looking for their mother and one of the daughters.”
Mr Rahman, from Stoke-on-Trent, has since flown back to the UK as he lost everything in the earthquake.
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32m ago
15:00
Watch: Child rescued from rubble after 81 hours
A seven-year-old was found alive in Turkey on Thursday, 81 hours after two deadly earthquakes struck the country and neighbouring Syria.
The child, Mehmet, was carried directly into an ambulance as onlookers clapped and cheered in the devastated city of Diyarbakir.
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50m ago
14:41
Death toll rises past 20,500
The number of people confirmed dead in the aftermath of a series of deadly earthquakes in Syria and Turkey is rising quickly.
As of now, it is understood at least 20,511 people have been killed.
The updated total comes after the White Helmets confirmed that 2,030 people have been killed in rebel-held parts of Syria.
Another 1,347 have been reported dead in government-held areas.
In Turkey, 17,134 people are confirmed dead as a result of the disaster.
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1h ago
14:25
Daniel Craig appeals for donations to help earthquake victims
Daniel Craig stars in TV adverts telling the public they “can and must” help in the wake of the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.
The former James Bond actor, 54, urges Britons to donate to those “in desperate need of life-saving support” in adverts which aired after evening news bulletins on Thursday.
He is lending his support to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which is coordinating a joint fundraising appeal by 14 British humanitarian charities, after the earthquakes on Monday.
In the ads, the actor says: “Millions of the Syrian families affected now had already been forced to flee their homes due to years of brutal conflict there.
“And even for those miraculously saved, what do their futures hold?
“They are in desperate need of life-saving support from around the world. Their own homes are no longer safe.
“The Disasters Emergency Committee charities and local partners are on the ground, but urgently need more resources to respond to a disaster of this incredible scale.”
Find out more about the DEC appeal.
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1h ago
14:10
An aerial view of the Turkey-Syria earthquake
In less than 10 seconds, many Syrian and Turkish cities were changed forever.
Buildings were flattened. Thousands died.
A baby was born under the rubble.
As rescue workers continue to scour the destroyed buildings for survivors, aerial photos show the true impact of two devastating earthquakes that have changed the lives of millions.
Just four miles away from the first earthquake’s epicentre, satellite imagery shows the impact on the once-busy downtown district of Nurdagi, Turkey.
You can see more from Sky News in the link below…
Turkey-Syria earthquake: Aerial views show the gaps where tower blocks and other buildings once stood
Sky News
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1h ago
13:50
‘Blankets are lifesavers at the moment’
By Amrit Singh Mann, news reporter
Slough-based humanitarian organisation Khalsa Aid has delivered a lorry load of 3,500 heavy blankets in Urfa, a city in southeastern Turkey which has seen temperatures reach as low as -3C during recovery efforts.
CEO Ravi Singh – who has travelled to the area from Berkshire – told Sky News “anywhere you go it’s absolutely freezing during the day and it’s even colder at night”.
He said: “With the earthquake leaving many homeless, blankets are lifesavers at the moment.”
The body warmers were sent to the disaster area from the organisation’s office in Iraq.
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2h ago
13:30
Tempo of rescue operation in one of the worst-hit areas has changed dramatically
The tempo of the earthquake rescue operation has changed dramatically in Hatay in southern Turkey.
The province near the Syrian border is one of the areas most impacted by the multiple earthquakes which struck Turkey and Syria this week – if not the worst-hit area.
And the massive scale of the destruction here is utterly mind-blowing.
Now, after days of repeated cries for help and multiple complaints about lack of action and help for the area, it is flooded with volunteers, aid workers, military police and civil society groups.
There’s a constant hum of helicopters flying overhead and the scream of sirens everywhere.
There is a stream of ambulances zipping up and down Ataturk Avenue, the main road into the provincial capital, Antakya.
Scores of excavation vehicles and mechanical diggers are in the area, as well as winches and cranes to lift the piles of rubble in every corner of this city.
You can read more from our special correspondent Alex Crawford below…
Turkey-Syria earthquake: Tempo of rescue operation in one of the worst-hit areas has changed dramatically
Sky News
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2h ago
13:14
Death toll hits 20,000
The death toll in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 20,000 tonight.
An update from the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency in the last few moments confirmed 17,134 people have died in Turkey.
Government-held areas of Syria have reported 1,347 people dead, while around 1,900 people have died in rebel-controlled northern areas.
The total for Syria is at 3,317.
It puts the number of dead at 20,451.
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2h ago
13:08
Prince and Princess of Wales ‘horrified’ by aftermath of earthquake
The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared their thoughts with those impacted by two deadly earthquakes that hit parts of Turkey and Syria.
In a message shared online, William and Kate said they were “horrified” by the “harrowing images” that have emerged in the aftermath.
They added: “Our thoughts are with the communities affected and we are pleased to support the @decappeal campaign which will aid the response on the ground.”
The royals shared an appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee for medical care, shelter, food and clean water for those affected by the tragedy.
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2h ago
12:58
Ukrainian rescue experts fly to Turkey and work alongside Russians in search efforts
Rescue experts from war-torn Ukraine have flown to Turkey to help with search efforts as people are pulled from fallen buildings after four days.
A huge international search and rescue effort was launched in the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks, which devastated parts of Turkey and Syria.
“There is a war in our country, but we understand that we have to help, and this aid is mutual,” Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, a spokesman for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, said.
“There is no other way to do it.”
Ukraine has sent 88 people to Turkey to help with the disaster, which has killed close to 20,000 people in southern parts and neighbouring Syria.
The team includes specialists in search and rescue operations, doctors, dog handlers and firefighters.
“This work goes on constantly, we have prepared people who take part in such operations,” said Mr Khorunzhyi.
The Ukrainian team built tents near the Turkish city of Antakya close to the Syrian border to provide emergency shelter and set up generators for those left homeless.
They have joined rescuers from around the world, including Russia which invaded Ukraine close to a year ago.
“We will work and distance ourselves from Russian rescuers as far as we can,” he said. “The coordination centre has informed us that Russian emergency crews are located in a far-off place and we won’t be able to meet.”
“People should protect their lives, this is the most important thing they have. We sympathise with the Turkish people, the families of the dead and wounded.”
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2h ago
12:38
Sunak helps pack aid for earthquake victims – and donates hats, scarves and blankets
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has arrived at a donation centre supporting a charity appeal after a deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
The prime minister visited the site in central London on Thursday, set up by students from the University College London Turkish Society.
He thanked those at the centre for their work with donated items to help the rescue and relief effort after the earthquake.
Mr Sunak later helped students pack items at the centre, as well as donating hats, scarves and blankets himself.
The items he donated will be sent to Turkey and Syria in the next few days.
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3h ago
12:18
UN chief urges access for humanitarian aid to Syria
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, has today urged further access for humanitarian aid to be permitted between Turkey and Syria.
He said he would be “very happy” if the United Nations could use more than one border crossing to deliver help after a powerful earthquake ripped through the two countries.
However, the Syrian government views the delivery of aid to the rebel-held northwest from Turkey as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Assad regime and pro-democratic insurgents have been locked in a fierce war since early 2011.
But Mr Guterres said now is the time to explore all possible avenues to transport aid and personnel into all areas affected by the tremors.
“Many non-UN relief agencies are already delivering through other crossings,” he said.
“I will be very happy if, in relation to the UN, there will be the possibility to do it also in as many crossings as possible.”
Mr Guterres did not say whether he has specifically asked the Syrian government to allow aid deliveries through more border crossings, but he did reference the 15-member UN Security Council’s ability to approve such a measure.
“It is obvious that we need massive support,” he said. “I will be, of course, very happy if the Security Council could reach a consensus to allow for more crossings to be used.”
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3h ago
11:58
Donations pile up in North Macedonia
The world has answered Turkey’s call for help in the wake of two devastating earthquakes which struck on Monday – and these photographs illustrate it well.
As governments have scrambled to pull together search and rescue teams, medics and emergency supplies, ordinary people have gathered essentials for those that have been displaced by the tremors.
The images below picture the scene in Skopje, North Macedonia, where donation collected for Turkey have been gathered.
Image
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3h ago
11:38
Boy, 2, rescued after 79 hours trapped in wreckage
A two-year-old boy has been rescued from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in the Turkish city of Antakya – almost 80 hours after it fell.
Footage from Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) showed rescue workers looking into a narrow opening in the debris of a building in Antakya and pulling out the boy as he wept.
A worker from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) carried the boy away and handed him over to health workers, as bystanders filmed the rescue on their phones.
Hundreds of thousands were left homeless by the powerful earthquakes, which struck southern Turkey and parts of neighbouring Syria on Monday.
Close to 20,000 people have been confirmed dead in the disaster, with the number likely to continue to rise.
Thousands more are still missing across the two countries.
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4h ago
11:18
France will not change political approach to Syria after devastating earthquake
France will not change its political approach to the Syrian government in the wake of a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, a minister said today.
The minister added that all aid in response to the tragedy would continue to be provided through non-governmental organisations and the United Nations.
“Our political approach is not changing and contrary to Bashar al Assad, we are working in favour of the Syrian population,” deputy foreign ministry spokesman Francois Delmas said.
“Only a political process defined by United Nations Security Council 2254 can lead to an exit of the crisis.”
Mr Delmas added that Paris had made emergency aid of €12m available for the population in all regions, including government-held ones.
For context: France cut off diplomatic ties with Damascus in February 2011, when a civil war between the Assad regime and pro-democratic insurgents erupted.
President Emmanuel Macron has flirted with the idea of nurturing some contacts with the regime since he took the post in 2017, but this is yet to come about.
The official French messaging remains that there has to be a real political transition for Paris to change its stance.
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4h ago
10:58
Rescue efforts continue for fourth day in Turkey
This is the scene on the ground in the Turkish town of Kirikhan, where people are still being pulled from the rubble of fallen buildings.
Below, a woman – Zubeyde Kahraman – is seen embracing a rescue worker after seemingly being helped out of the debris on Thursday.
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4h ago
10:37
Death toll tops 19,800
We’ve had an update on the latest death toll in Turkey and Syria following a series of powerful earthquakes on Monday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed in the last few moments that the total number of fatalities in Turkey is at 16,546.
Government-held areas of Syria have reported 1,347 people dead, while around 1,900 people have died in rebel-controlled northern areas.
The total for Syria is at 3,277.
It is thought at least 19,823 people have died so far.
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5h ago
10:21
Cleverly: Syria situation ‘considerably harder’
The UK will continue working with Turkey to assess what more is needed in the aftermath of the deadly Turkish and Syrian earthquakes, James Cleverly has said.
But the foreign secretary told a press conference at the UK-Italy Pontignano forum in Rome that helping people in Syria would be harder, even though efforts are underway to reach people there.
He said: “Our officials have been in close cooperation with them (Turkey) and the United Nations.
“We deployed an urban search and rescue team with modern world-class equipment to support the coalition that was already deployed.
“We will continue working with the Turkish authorities to find out what more they need and we will continue coordinating through the United Nations and the White Helmets civil force in Syria.
“Of course, the situation in Syria for obvious reasons is considerably harder and more complicated, but nevertheless there are lives that need to be saved and we will endeavour to work with the Turkish government and the Syrian opposition and the United Nations to try and help all the people that need our support.”
It comes shortly after the UK government confirmed it would match up to the first £5m donated by members of the public to a charity appeal for victims.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the assistance after pledging that £8m in aid would follow specialist teams already sent to earthquake-stricken areas.
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5h ago
10:08
‘I thought I was going to die’: Survivor’s hotel escape
A Syrian-British humanitarian worker thought her Turkish hotel was being bombed when the first 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday.
The walls cracked around Leena Salhoul as she ran down the staircase clutching her passport.
“I really thought I was going to die that night. It was too late to leave the hotel at that point. We felt the whole hotel shake and move from its place,” said Ms Salhoul, from Nottingham.
Leena Salhoul, from Nottingam, speaks to Sky News
Leena Salhoul, from Nottingam, speaks to Sky News
Asked how long it took for help to reach her in Gaziantep, she told Sky News: “We didn’t get any. Literally none. We called the British Embassy to get me and my dad out. They couldn’t do anything.
“We tried to leave the day before I got to Istanbul. We couldn’t; the roads were literally broken in half.”
Her father, who runs the humanitarian organisation Hand in Hand for Syria, is still in Turkey assisting relief efforts.
“He found one flight and he gave it to me. He didn’t want to see me at all during the whole escalation in case one of us was going to die; at least one of us would make it home to our family.”
She said more aid was needed in Syria where hospitals are without fuel, rescue teams are without resources and citizens are without food.
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5h ago
09:33
UK will match first £5m raised by public appeal
The UK will match up to the first £5m donated by members of the public to a charity appeal for victims.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the assistance after pledging that £8m in aid would follow specialist teams already sent to earthquake-stricken areas.
The Disasters Emergency Committee is raising money for blankets, food and shelter.
“Obviously, what’s happening in Turkey is just an awful, awful tragedy and the scale of human loss is something that is hard to comprehend,” Mr Sunak said.
“I spoke to President Erdogan of Turkey just the other day to express our solidarity and sympathy and make sure that we provide all the support we can as a country.”
Referring to the UK search and rescue teams already in Turkey, the prime minister said: “They’re already making a difference on the ground and of course, all ministers are in touch with their counterparts to continue providing more assistance.”
