As the death toll from Monday’s earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria continues to climb rapidly, rescuers’ hopes of rescuing survivors are dwindling. According to expert estimates, the current number of casualties could even more than triple.
Among the thousands of collapsed buildings in the Turkish-Syrian border area, tens of thousands of earthquake victims are probably still to be feared. Nearly 20,000 deaths were reported on Thursday. There are also about 70,000 injured. After more than three days and the guideline of 72 hours, the maximum that a human can actually save without water, hopes of further survivors are dwindling, even though there were isolated reports of people being rescued after more than 80 hours.
Damage models with gloomy prospects
According to experts, the number of deaths after the earthquake catastrophe could increase significantly. Rapid projections based on empirical damage models predicted up to about 67,000 fatalities, Andreas Schäfer of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) said Thursday. There are now 16,546 dead in Turkey alone, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday. At least 3,317 deaths had recently been reported from Syria.
Bitter cold makes the situation even worse
The bitter cold in the region and the political situation in civil war-torn Syria further exacerbate the situation. A United Nations first aid convoy reached rebel areas on Thursday. Activists in Syria reported that aid shipments were planned before the earthquake and that only delayed them.
The urgently needed material for the rescue teams in Syria has therefore not arrived, but goods such as detergent. “This is very disappointing and shameful,” said the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, the dpa.
Civil war delays relief supplies
The already difficult situation for rescuers and relief supplies in Syria is further complicated by the politically sensitive situation. The disaster area there is divided into Damascus-controlled areas and rebel-controlled areas. Relief supplies can only reach affected areas in the north of the country through an open border crossing from Turkey – and it was feared that ruler Bashar al-Assad would only allow deliveries to areas under his government’s control.
Concerns about disease outbreaks
Three days after the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake, the full extent of the destruction cannot be predicted. According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 23 million people could be affected by the earthquake’s aftermath. In particular, she fears that the return of cholera a few months ago during the civil war in Syria could now develop into an epidemic.
Dissatisfaction with disaster management is growing
Dissatisfaction with Turkey’s disaster response is growing, which could also affect presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14. There were doubts whether the vote could take place at all. President Erdogan on Thursday had the parliament in Ankara confirm the state of emergency for three months. The decree has been published in the Official Journal – the state of emergency is now in effect. The measure applies to the ten provinces also affected by the earthquake.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
