Earthquake: Turkey, Syria Seek More Aid As Death Toll Rises

Fear grows amid the Turkey-Syria earthquake, as the death toll rises above 9,500.

On Wednesday, rescuers were on the job to pull more survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after the earthquake.

The death toll has climbed above 9,500 and is expected to rise further, making the quake the deadliest in more than a decade.

Aids Pouring In

Search and rescue teams from nearly 30 countries and aid pledges have poured in, as well as relief supplies have begun to arrive by aeroplane.

Also, the European Union mobilized search and rescue teams to help, while the bloc’s Copernicus satellite system has been activated to provide emergency mapping services.

Aid workers searching through the rubbles for survivors

The European Commission is also helping Syria by funding humanitarian organizations supervising search and rescue operations.

Israel’s 150 military rescue experts arrived in Turkey on Tuesday to begin rescue efforts in Adana and Gaziantep.

Another Israel Defense Forces delegation of medical and logistics corps troops was set to depart for Turkey on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in Syria, aid efforts have been hampered by the ongoing war and the many rebels in the region along the border.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the road leading to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing — the only terminal through which UN aid is allowed to enter was damaged by the quake, disrupting deliveries.

Dujarric added the UN was preparing a convoy to cross the conflict lines within Syria.

Pain, Clamour And Call For Help

With the damage spread across several cities and towns, many are still crying for help.

According to the Associated Press, Osman Can Taninmis, whose family members were still beneath the rubble in Hatay said; “It’s like we woke up to hell.

"We can’t respond to absolutely anything. Help isn’t coming, can’t come. We can’t reach anyone at all. Everywhere is destroyed.”

Earthquake victims

Worries now grow about how long trapped survivors could last in the cold, amid the freezing temperatures.

Nurgul Atay told The Associated Press she could hear her mother’s voice beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Antakya. But rescuers did not have the heavy equipment needed to rescue her.

She said; “If only we could lift the concrete slab, we’d be able to reach her.

"My mother is 70 years old, she won’t be able to withstand this for long.”

Turkey is not new to earthquakes. Around 18,000 were killed in earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.

The country also experienced earthquakes in 1939, when 33,000 people died in the Erzincan province.