Category: Istanbul

The death toll from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria earlier this week has reached 9,638 on Wednesday, with rescue efforts becoming "harder" due to freezing weather in the two countries, authorities said.

In its latest update, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said that total of 60,218 emergency officials are working in the affected-areas, including 3,200 personnel from 65 countries.

Amid harsh weather conditions, rescuers in Turkey and Syria were racing against time to find more survivors believed to be trapped under debris as the death toll from the devastating 7.8-magnitude quake crossed 5,000 on Tuesday.

The death toll due to the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has increased to more than 4,300 as rescuers are racing against time to find more survivors amid heavy rain and snow in the two neighbouring nations, according to media reports.

The 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Turkey's Gaziantep early on Monday (local time) and its tremors were said to be felt all around the Middle East region from Cairo to Beirut to Baghdad. It even prompted Italy to declare a tsunami warning.

Hours after Monday morning's devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Turkey-Syria border area, leaving at least 912 dead in Turkey and 326 in Syria, another powerful earthquake, of magnitude 7.5, was recorded in Turkey, reports said.