The death toll from the earthquake now exceeds 16,000, according to official reports released on Wednesday. In government-controlled areas of Syria, 1,262 people were killed, and 1,730 in rebel areas, according to the White Helmets.
In Turkey, the death toll was at least 12,873. This is the country’s worst toll since the 1999 earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4 and which left 17,000 dead, including a thousand in Istanbul.
Rescuers rush
In freezing cold, rescuers race against time to try to rescue survivors of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook southeastern Turkey at dawn on Monday and neighboring northern Syria.
