Ankara/ Damascus (Web Desk/Agencies): The death toll from the Turkiye-Syria deadly earthquakes has risen to more than 25,000.
In Turkiye at least 20,665 people have been killed while in Syrian 3,5100 people have died.
According to international media reports, rescue teams are still searching rubble for survivors as freezing cold threaten the lives of thousands of survivors who are now without shelter, water and food.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates up to 23 million people could be affected by the earthquake. The situation is particularly dire in Syria, where the UN says nearly 70% of the population was in need of humanitarian assistance before the quake — an issue that has only been compounded by the tragedy.
According to Turkiye’s Disaster Management Authority (AFAD), the 7.8 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (0117GMT) on Monday and was centered in the Pazarcik district in Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaras. The quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles).
AFAD said in a statement that 78 aftershocks occurred following the earthquake. Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces are heavily affected by the quake.