Death Toll in Turkey-Syria Earthquake Surpasses 8,500

The death toll in the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday has risen to 8,764.

At least 6,234 people have been killed in Turkey, while at least 2,530 have been killed in Syria.

At least 34,810 people have been injured in Turkey, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday, while in Syria, a total of 4,654 injuries have been reported.

The search for survivors of the terrible earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria on Monday continues on Wednesday. Foreign aid from multiple countries has started arriving in the region.

Rescuers are racing to pull survivors from earthquake rubble before they succumb to cold weather in southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria.

With the airport and many roads outside the city blocked, those who were unable to leave took refuge on Tuesday in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centres.

Bulldozers and workers wearing helmets are ploughing through the mountainous pile of broken concrete, as plumes of dust surround them.

The quake, one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years, struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey's Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the US Geological Survey said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month-long state of emergency in 10 provinces as rescuers race against time in Turkey and Syria following Monday's devastating earthquake.

(with inputs from ANI)

Also Read: Heroin Worth Over Rs 3 Crore Seized In Mizoram; Two Held