MORE than 40,000 people have been killed in the Turkey-Syria earthquake, but hope persisted as a 77-year-old man was rescued from rubble in Turkey’s Adiyaman, some 212 hours after the quake.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has acknowledged problems in the initial response to the 7.8 magnitude quake that struck early on Feb. 6 but has said the situation is now under control. “We are facing one of the greatest natural disasters not only in our country but also in the history of humanity,” Erdogan said in a televised speech in Ankara.
The search for survivors was about to end in the northwest of Syria, said the head of the White Helmets main rescue group, Raed al Saleh. Russia also said it was wrapping up its search and rescue work in Turkey and Syria.
Meanwhile, Erdogan has said that the death toll in Turkey due to last week’s earthquake has increased to 40,418.
