Turkey-Syria quakes updates: Thousands dead; searches ongoing

Turkey says 2,316 people have been killed and 13,293 injured in Monday’s earthquakes.

Emergency services said 7,340 people have been rescued so far.

Syrian doctors are calling for help as hospitals in the country fill up with hundreds of survivors of Monday’s earthquakes.

At least 1,293 people have been killed and 3,411 injured in Syria in Monday’s earthquakes, the government and rescue workers say.

In government-controlled areas, the toll rose to 593 dead and 1,411 injured in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus, Syria’s health ministry said.

In rebel-held parts of the country’s northwest, at least 700 people have been killed and more than 2,000 injured, according to the White Helmets rescue group.

The administration of US President Joe Biden has said it is “committed” to delivering aid to Syrians, but it ruled out reaching out to the government in Damascus, which it does not recognise as legitimate.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that Washington will not engage with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes that struck Syria and Turkey on Monday.

“It would be quite ironic – if not even counterproductive – for us to reach out to a government that has brutalised its people over the course of a dozen years now … Instead, we have humanitarian partners on the ground who can provide the type of assistance in the aftermath of these tragic earthquakes,” Price said.

Drone footage shows the scale of devastation in Turkey and Syria caused by the earthquakes.

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A post shared by Al Jazeera English (@aljazeeraenglish)

The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey has risen to 1,762, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority says.

At least 12,068 people have been injured, the agency said.

The United Arab Emirates says it will send humanitarian assistance worth $13.6m to Syria after Monday’s earthquakes, state media report.

Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum “directed urgent humanitarian aid to those affected in Syria”, the official news agency WAM said.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority says 6,445 people have been rescued from collapsed buildings after Monday’s earthquakes.

The agency said at least 5,606 buildings have been destroyed after the quakes hit southeastern Turkey.

Erdogan says Turkey will observe seven days of national mourning for the victims of Monday’s earthquakes.

“A national mourning period has been declared for seven days,” the Turkish president said in a tweet. “Our flag will be lowered to half-staff until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in all our national and foreign representative offices.”

6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde ülkemizde meydana gelen depremler sebebiyle yedi gün süreyle millî yas ilan edilmiştir. Bütün yurtta ve dış temsilciliklerimizde 12 Şubat 2023 Pazar günü güneşin batışına kadar bayrağımız yarıya çekilecektir. pic.twitter.com/WsXvTpyr6y

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 6, 2023

The death toll from Monday’s earthquakes in Syria has increased to 968, according to the government and rescue groups.

The quake killed at least 538 people and injured 1,353 in government-controlled parts of Syria, including the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, the health ministry said.

In rebel-held parts of the northwest, at least 430 people were killed and more than 1,050 were injured, the White Helmets rescue group said, warning that the toll could increase.

Turkey’s health ministry says the death toll from Monday’s earthquakes has risen to 1,651.

At least 11,119 people have been injured, it said.

The Turkish Football Federation says it has postponed all club games following the deadly earthquakes.

“All planned competitions have been postponed to a later date,” the federation tweeted.

“We wish God’s mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake that has plunged our country into mourning, our condolences to their families, relatives and our nation, and a speedy recovery to our wounded,” the tweet said.

Three league games had been scheduled for Monday, including second-place Fenerbahce at home to Konyaspor. The next matches are set for Friday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer his condolences and say Greece is ready to send help, according to his office.

Erdogan thanked Mitsotakis for the support, the Greek prime minister’s office said in a statement.

I just spoke to President @RTErdogan. On behalf of the Greek people, I extended my deepest condolences for the devastating loss of life and reiterated our readiness to provide all further assistance necessary.

— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) February 6, 2023

Biden says he has authorised an immediate response to the devastating earthquakes in Turkey.

“Our teams are deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and address the needs of those injured and displaced,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

Ghana national football team player Christian Atsu is reportedly missing in Turkey following the earthquakes.

The 31-year-old – who previously had spells with Newcastle United, Everton and Porto – has been playing for Hatayspor in Antakya in the Turkish Super Lig since September.

Atsu was the hero for The Star of the South on Sunday, coming off the bench to score a 97th-minute goal in a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa.

Newcastle United, where Atsu spent five years, tweeted: “Praying for some positive news.”

Praying for some positive news, @ChristianAtsu20. 🙏🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/HQT6yZOmRB

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) February 6, 2023

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay says the earthquake death toll has risen to at least 1,541 in his country.

The quake has injured 9,733 people and destroyed 3,471 buildings, he said.

Tens of thousands of people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey are in urgent need of basic humanitarian support, Sezgin Karagoz, international coordinator of the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, told Al Jazeera from Kilis, one of the cities hit by the quakes.

“It is basic support – mostly food and shelter like tents, mats, raincoats, electric heaters or blankets,” he said. “It is very basic needs. It is very cold out here because it is winter.”

“It’s been snowing and raining all day. People need to stay warm,” he said.

The United Nations General Assembly has observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey.

“Our teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “We count on the international community to help the thousands of families hit by this disaster, many of whom were already in dire need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge.”

Qatar says it will start operating relief flights to Turkey to transport search and rescue teams to the earthquake-affected zones along with vehicles, a field hospital, tents and other supplies, its state news agency reported.

Qatar-funded Qatar Charity said it was distributing 27,000 hot meals in Gaziantep, where it has an office, and was supplying relief items to shelters in Turkey and Syria.

The group allocated $6m for the first stages of its response.

Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, says at least 10 cities in the southeastern part of Turkey have been affected by the earthquake.

“We are talking about a vast geography,” Koseoglu said. “We are talking about at least 10 million people who live in these cities. This is a tough task for the Turkish authorities and local rescue workers to deal with.”

“We are hearing that rescue workers have not even been able to reach some of the places,” she added.