Quake Death Toll Surges Past 19,000 as Voices Cry Out from the Rubble
More than 19,000 people have now died along the Turkey-Syria border from this week's catastrophic earthquakes. Rescuers are working as quickly as they can as the "survival window" closes fast.
Time is running out to find survivors in the rubble, now that the first critical 72 hours have passed. But there have still been some miracles.
A little girl was found alive alongside her father who, as they were loaded into an ambulance, whispered "I love you all."
And in the Turkish city of Malatya, a man was found alive who had been trapped under concrete for 65 hours.
But the losses are staggering. Many victims were refugees who fled the civil war in Syria.
CLICK HERE to Help Operation Blessing Provide Relief Effort in Turkey
Turkish and Syrian survivors in the Turkish city of Antakya were still waiting Wednesday for their loved ones to be rescued after their apartment buildings collapsed. They sat by a fire trying to keep warm.
One woman said, "Our building has been destroyed for three days. There are many people under the rubble. I also have a mother and brother (under it)."
Another survivor is also hoping for a miracle, saying, "My mother, father, and brother are under the rubble. I am waiting for them. No sound from them for days."
One man says they can hear the voices of victims, some of them children, still alive in the rubble, but they are still waiting for rescue squads to come and help free them.
A woman in Elbistan says, "Three people from my family are trapped under the rubble."
An Operation Blessing assessment team is on the ground in #Turkey. Please keep #OB and the suffering people of #Syria and Turkey in your prayers. Thank you so much for your support. To help earthquake victims, visit https://t.co/AW9UvLBN9x today!https://t.co/gfttw0WAzU
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) February 8, 2023
Drone footage shows the stunning devastation in Syria. Some buildings have been completely destroyed while others seem to show no damage at all.
Buildings in rebel-held areas of Syria were already weakened by repeated aerial attacks from Syrian and Russian warplanes during the civil war.
The government says about 300,000 people have been left homeless by the quake, some forced to sleep in cars or tents in the sub-zero temperatures. Syria is receiving almost no international help, but aid organizations are trying to provide blood, clothes, and blankets.
Turkish President Erdogan is under fire for his government's handling of the disaster. Touring the damage, Erdogan acknowledged "shortcomings" in emergency-response efforts but blamed it on bad weather and damage at a local airport.
CLICK HERE to Help Operation Blessing Provide Relief Effort in Turkey
An Operation Blessing assessment team is on the ground. The ministry is preparing to distribute thousands of blankets and solar lanterns to those without homes, heat or power.
An #OBI team is on the ground in #Turkey, initially distributing blankets and solar lamps because so many are without heat and power.
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) February 8, 2023
Help victims of disaster: https://t.co/AW9UvLBN9x
Watch the full report https://t.co/BZD9qOwamC#CBNNews #TurkeyEarthquake2023
The final death toll from Turkey and Syria will probably not be known for weeks because of the sheer amount of rubble.
CLICK HERE to Help Operation Blessing Provide Relief Effort in Turkey
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