The earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria last week killed at least 41,218 people and injured tens of thousands more.
Seven more people have been rescued eight days after a massive earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, but hopes of finding further survivors of what the World Health Organization called the worst natural disaster in 100 years in its 53-country Europe region are dwindling.
Among those recovered on Tuesday was Muhammed Cafer, 18, who could be seen moving his fingers as he was lifted from rubble in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Muhammed Yeninar, 17, and his brother Baki, 21, were found alive in the same region.
Turkey’s TRT Haber reported a 35-year-old woman had also been pulled alive from the ruins of a block of flats in the southern Hatay province, 205 hours after the 7.8-magnitude quake, which was followed by a powerful aftershock, struck early on Monday.
However, some teams are winding down operations as subzero temperatures reduce the already slim chances of survival. The UN’s aid chief, Martin Griffiths, said the rescue phase was “coming to a close”, with the focus turning to shelter and food.
At a field hospital in Antakya, Turkey, one doctor, Yilmaz Aydin, told Agence France-Presse it was now “a miracle to find a patient still alive”, and that those who were rescued would be “in a more critical condition. The majority will need life-saving treatment.”
At least 41,218 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured from the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria last week.
Turkish authorities say 35,418 people have been killed in the country, while more than 5,800 people are dead in Syria.
On Tuesday, Derya Yanik, Turkey’s minister of family and social services, said at least 1,362 children in Turkey were separated from their parents.
Yanik said 369 have been reunited with their families, 792 are in hospitals, and 201 children are in “institutions affiliated with our ministry”.
According to CNN, rescue teams in the country say they are still hearing voices from under the rubble, offering a glimmer of hope of finding more survivors.
TheCable had reported how Belit Tasdemir, United Nations liaison officer at the Search and Rescue Association in Turkey, expressed concern over a rapid closing window of rescue.
He said rescue teams, who have been on the ground for several days, are starting to become affected by cold temperatures and “extreme fatigue”.
“The sheer level of, and how widespread the devastation is, is completely unprecedented in terms of what we’ve seen before in Turkey,” Tasdemir said.
“We’re approaching the end of the search and rescue window, plus the probability of finding survivors under the rubble in below-freezing temperatures is becoming a lower probability.”
There has been public anger over the Turkish government’s slow response to the situation.
Although authorities have issued arrest warrants for over 30 property developers blamed for building collapses, residents say the government attempts to shift responsibility for the incident.
On Tuesday, President Recep Erdogan said enforcement of stricter building regulations was needed in the country.
He also gave the assurance that his government would continue work until the last person was rescued from the rubble.
