Death toll climbs past 9,600 as rescuers race against time

Civil war and shattered roads slow aid to quake-hit Syria

The desperate race to save people trapped under the rubble in northern Syria poses unique challenges that aid groups and local volunteers warn could spell deadly delays in help reaching the war-ravaged and earthquake-stricken pocket of the country.

Abdulkafi Alhamdo, a resident of Darat Izza in the northwest, described hearing voices under collapsed buildings as rescuers toiled in freezing conditions with little to no heavy machinery.

“We were hearing screams and messages,” Alhamdo said in an interview with NBC News Now. “We couldn’t do anything,” he added, describing how he and other volunteers removed rubble with their bare hands. 

“I couldn’t sleep at night, because they were still in my ears,” he said. 

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Death toll climbs past 9,650

The death toll from Monday’s earthquakes has climbed past 9,638 and is expected to continue rise, according to officials.

In Turkey, at least 7,108 people were dead and 40,910 injured as of early Wednesday morning, according to Turkey’s Disaster Management Authority. At least 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble alive, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

In Syria, the Ministry of Health reported at least 1,262 deaths and 2,285 injuries in government-held areas. At least 1,280 deaths and more than 2,600 injuries were recorded in rebel-held areas, according to the White Helmets.

China pledges aid to Syria as rescue teams arrive in Turkey

China said Wednesday that it would provide 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) in emergency aid to Syria, as an 82-member Chinese rescue team arrived in Turkey.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing that $2 million of the Syrian aid would be used for cash and urgently needed relief supplies.

Earlier, China pledged 40 million yuan ($5.9 million) as its first tranche of emergency aid to Turkey, with China’s Red Cross providing Turkey and Syria an additional $200,000 each.

The rescue team arrived early Wednesday with rescue equipment and four search-and-rescue dogs, the Chinese Embassy in Turkey said in a statement. It was sent at the request of the Turkish government, the embassy added.

Civilian rescue teams from Chinese nonprofit organizations have also been dispatched, according to Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency.

Tents fill sports stadium in Turkish city

A tent city has been set up at a sports stadium in Kahramanmaras to house residents displaced by Monday’s earthquakes.

The tents were set up by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

Photo: Bodies line the floor in front of Turkey hospital

Bodies of earthquake victims are laid in front of a hospital in Hatay, Turkey, on Wednesday, some covered with blankets as the country suffers a shortage of body bags.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers sending aid to Turkey and Syria

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers say they are sending about $165,000 in earthquake aid to Turkey and Syria “on the basis of shared humanity and Islamic brotherhood.”

Turkey will receive about $110,000, while $55,000 will go to Syria, the foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday.

It said Afghanistan’s emergency response and health teams were also prepared to assist if needed.

Afghanistan is facing its own economic and humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning of record-high malnutrition rates and scores of people being killed by wintry weather. The Taliban, which regained power in August 2021 amid the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces, has drawn international condemnation over its restrictions on women’s rights and its government has yet to be formally recognized by any foreign capital.

How to help earthquake survivors

As many as 23 million people, including around 1.4 million children, are likely to have been impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, according to the World Health Organization.

For those who want to help survivors of the disaster, which has killed more than 5,000, there are several international humanitarian organizations seeking donations to fund their aid efforts.

Here’s how you can help.

Turkey’s stock exchange suspends trading for the first time in 24 years

Turkey’s stock exchange has suspended trading after the country’s benchmark trading index dropped dramatically on Wednesday.

The Borsa Istanbul exchange suspended trading after two market-wide circuit beakers failed to stop a slip in the main index, which dipped 7% after markets opened.

“Trading in Equity Market and Single Stock & Index Futures and Options Contracts in the Derivatives Market has been suspended,” the exchange said in a statement, according to Reuters.

This is the first time the exchange has been suspended in 24 years, according to Bloomberg.

It was not immediately clear when trading would resume. 

Kim Jong Un offers condolences to Syria

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a message of condolence on Wednesday to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

According to North Korean state media, Kim said he was confident that under Assad’s leadership, “the government and people of the Syrian Arab Republic will eradicate the aftermath of the earthquake damage as soon as possible and stabilize the living conditions of the people in the afflicted areas.”

Syria is one of the few countries to maintain friendly relations with North Korea amid international sanctions over Kim’s nuclear and missile programs.

There have been no reports of Kim sending a similar message to Turkey, where the damage from the earthquake was greater.

Death toll rises to 9,200

The death has risen to at least 9,200 people, according to officials.

In Turkey, at least 7,108 people are dead and 40,910 injured, according to the country’s Disaster Management Authority.

In Syria, at least 812 people were dead and 1,832 injured, according to the Ministry of Health. In Syrian rebel-held territories, at least 1,280 deaths were recorded, with more than 2,600 injured, according the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue force.

Photos: Boy trapped for 52 hours reunited with mother in Turkey

Rescue workers carry eight year old Yigit Cakma to be reunited with his mother on Wednesday, 52 hours after the earthquake struck in Hatay, Turkey.

Erdogan to visit areas impacted by earthquakes

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit the areas hit hardest by Monday’s 7.8 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes.

Erdogan is expected to visit the provinces of Adana, Kahramanmaras and Malatya initially. He may also visit other areas after.

It was not immediately clear when Erdogan was expected to make the trip.

Photo: People wait for news of trapped loved ones in Turkey

People wait for news of their loved ones, believed to be trapped under collapsed building on Tuesday in Hatay, Turkey.

Death toll soars past 9,000

Desperate search and rescue efforts are still underway in Turkey and Syria as the death toll from Monday’s earthquakes soared past 9,000.

At least 9,049 people were dead as of early Wednesday morning, according to officials.

In Turkey, at least 6,957 people are dead and 22,168 injured, according to the country’s Disaster Management Authority.

In Syria, at least 812 people were dead and 1,832 injured, according to the Ministry of Health. In Syrian rebel-held territories, at least 1,280 deaths were recorded, with more than 2,600 injured, according the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue force.