There is renewed hope that survivors will be found after three people were rescued from the rubble of a building in the Syrian city of Jableh, some 110 hours after the devastating earthquake that struck the area on Monday.
During the last 24 hours, the rescue teams in Turkey were able to extract 67 people alive from under the rubble, and the number of injured so far in Turkey has reached 80,000 who are receiving treatment in hospitals, and 190,000 citizens have been evacuated outside the stricken cities, and one million and 50,000 people affected by the earthquake are now living. In temporary shelters set up in the earthquake zones.
In the Turkish state of Kahramanmaraş, a woman was found 122 hours after she had been buried under the rubble of a destroyed building, which restored hope that more survivors would be found.
Rescue efforts continue amid growing criticism of the United Nations’ handling of Syria and calls for full humanitarian access.
According to local media, the Syrian government agreed to deliver humanitarian aid across the front lines to opposition areas, adding that aid will reach those in need with the help of the United Nations, the Syrian Red Crescent and the International Red Cross.
In an effort to speed up aid deliveries to northwestern Syria, the United States temporarily eased sanctions, as almost no humanitarian aid has reached the country despite thousands being killed in an earthquake this week.
In Turkey, the Maritime Authority said that operations in the Iskenderun port area had resumed after the fires caused by the earthquake were extinguished.
Media reports say that the death toll in Syria has reached 3,550 and more than 5,000 injured.
In Turkey, the number far exceeded what was expected, reaching more than 20,000.
Aftershocks continue to hamper rescue efforts.
Copyright: Reuters
