Türkiye-Syria quakes, ‘worst disaster’ in a century

The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday said the deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, were the worst natural disasters in the region in a hundred years.

"We are witnessing the worst natural disaster in the WHO European Region for a century.

We are still learning about its magnitude.

Its true cost is not known yet," WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge said at a press conference.

The comments come as the hopes of finding more survivors from the earthquakes, which struck over a week ago, fade.

Türkiye is among the 53 countries listed in the WHO's European Region, while neighbouring Syria is in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the number of dead had risen to 31,974.

Volunteer rescue group Syria Civil Defense also known has The White Helmets said the death toll had reached 2,166 in opposition-held areas, while the Syrian Health Ministry in Damascus said 1,414 people had died in government-held areas.

The latest figures bring the total number killed in the disaster to over 35,000.Here are other updates from yesterday, on the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes

At least seven survivors were rescued on Tuesday from the rubble of earthquake-hit areas of Türkiye, local media reported, eight days after worst quake in the country's modern history.

It included a woman pulled out from ruins of a building in the southern Turkish province of Hatay by Ukrainian rescue workers, some 205 hours after the devastating quake struck. —DWNEWS

 Earlier yesterday, an 18-year-old man was rescued from the rubble of a building in southern Turkey some 198 hours after the earthquake. DWNEWS