Death Toll of Turkiye and Syria Earthquakes Reach 46,000

VIVA – The death toll from the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria reach 46,000 as of Sunday and the search for victims has stopped. It was already two weeks after the huge earthquake, and many people in Turkiye could only pray for their missing relatives.

The bulldozer operator, Akin Bozkurt, said he was looking for the body to hand over to the family. "They want to have a funeral ceremony," he said.

Meanwhile, the head of Turkey's Emergency and Disaster Management Agency (AFAD), Yunus Sezer, said most rescue efforts would end on Sunday night. The death toll is expected to rise, as about 345,000 apartments in the country have been destroyed, and many people are still missing.

Turkiye and Syria did not say how many people were killed in the disaster. In one of the rescue efforts in Antakya, Southern Turkiye, late Saturday, searchers removed debris by hand. Then, sniffer dogs and thermal cameras had detected signs of life from two people, rescuers said. However, shortly after midnight, eight hours after the rescue began, the team called off their efforts.

"Nobody is still alive. I think we can no longer save people," said Mujdat Erdogan, an AFAD member.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 26 million people in Turkiye and Syria require humanitarian assistance. In Syria, where more than 5,800 deaths have been reported, the UN Food Program (WFP) said authorities in the northwestern part of the country are blocking access to the region.

WFP Director David Beasley said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that the blockade is hampering aid delivery operations and must be addressed immediately. Most of the deaths in Syria have occurred in the region, which is controlled by rebels. They are at war with forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad.