ANTAKYA, Turkey, 8th February, 2023 (WAM) — The death toll of a devastating earthquake in southern Türkiye and Syria jumped to more than 7,800 people on Tuesday as rescuers worked against time in harsh winter conditions to dig survivors out of the rubble of collapsed buildings, Reuters reported.
As the scale of the disaster became ever more apparent, the death toll looked likely to rise considerably.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces.
Monday's magnitude 7.8 quake, followed hours later by a second one almost as powerful, toppled thousands of buildings including hospitals, schools and apartment blocks, injured tens of thousands, and left countless people homeless in Turkey and northern Syria.