Over 34,000 dead from quake in Turkey and Syria

 

More than 34,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria last Monday, officials said.

A man was recued after 167 hours under the rubble, among the latest in a series of harrowing stories of success as workers in Turkey continue to search for survivors.

Rescue operations are over in rebel-held areas of northwest Syria, the White Helmets volunteer organization said. Relief efforts there have been complicated by a long-running civil war.

How you can help: Donate to victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria here.

2:34 a.m. ET, February 13, 2023

Survivor pulled from rubble 167 hours after quake hit Turkey as rescue workers race against time

From CNN staff

Members of a rescue team work on the site of a collapsed building, as the search for survivors continues in Hatay, Turkey on February 11. (Kemal Aslan/Reuters)

One week after the devastating earthquake hit Turkey, teams are still rushing to save victims that could be alive under the rubble — even as aid agencies and authorities warned the chances of finding survivors are becoming increasingly unlikely.

After 167 hours, a man was rescued from the debris in Antakya, in southern Turkey's Hatay province, video from CNN affiliate CNN Turk shows. The man is seen being hoisted up by rescue workers, who he then embraces and grasps hands with.

Earlier Sunday, a 55-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble after 159 hours buried, while an 85-year-old woman was rescued after 152 hours trapped in what her nephew described as a cavity around 30-40 centimeters (11-16 inches) wide, according to CNN Turk.

Two people — a 25-year-old Syrian man and a child — were also rescued in Hatay some 151 and 152 hours after the quake hit, local officials said Sunday.

The man was rescued after response teams detected noises beneath the debris while conducting a sound survey in the ruins of an apartment building in Antakya, according to officials.

The technology was also used by the teams to find the child, whose age was not disclosed.

At least 41 people were rescued from under the rubble in Turkey between the 141st and 163rd hours after the quake hit, state-run news agency Anadolu reported Monday.

Death toll: More than 34,000 people have been confirmed dead across Turkey and Syria, where relief efforts have been complicated by the long-running civil war. Rescue operations are over in rebel-held areas of northwest Syria, the White Helmets volunteer organization said Friday.

12:04 a.m. ET, February 13, 2023

US ambassador urges UN Security Council to approve more Syria aid access points

From CNN's Richard Roth

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Sunday urged the UN Security Council to approve two additional access points to deliver aid to parts of Syria hit by the deadly quake last week.

"People in the affected areas are counting on us. They are appealing to our common humanity to help in their moment of need," Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement.

"We cannot let them down — we must vote immediately on a resolution to heed the UN’s call for authorization of additional border crossings for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. We have the power to act. It's time to move with urgency and purpose."

The delivery of urgent supplies to quake-hit areas of northern Syria has been complicated by a long-running civil war between opposition forces and the Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of killing his own people.

Russia, which backs Assad's regime, has previously blocked approval for another aid route to Syria at the UN.

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator on Sunday stressed the need to "open more access points" to get aid out quicker. Meanwhile, the head of the White Helmets volunteer group urged the UN to act outside the Security Council to open three crossings for emergency aid.

3:09 a.m. ET, February 13, 2023

EU Commission chief pledges extra support for Turkey in call with President Erdogan

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy and Sharon Braithwaite

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference at the European Council Building in Brussels, Belgium, on February 10. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images)

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has promised to bolster aid for Turkey as the country grapples with the aftermath of last Monday's devastating earthquake. 

In a phone call Sunday, Von der Leyen told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "the Commission will mobilize additional support and respond to Türkiye's latest request for more shelter capacity — in particular tents, blankets, heaters," according to an EU readout of the call. 

Von der Leyen conveyed her "deepest condolences and those of the European Union for the catastrophic loss of life and destruction caused by the recent earthquake," the readout added. 

The EU hopes to drum up additional funding for Turkey and Syria during a donor conference set to be held in Brussels in March. 

In a news release Wednesday, the bloc said its operation in the impacted regions is one of the "largest ever search and rescue operations" carried out through its Civil Protection Mechanism. A total of 21 EU member states and three participating states have so far offered 38 response teams, consisting of 1,651 people and 106 search and rescue dogs, according to the readout