Turkey quake: Heavy rain hampers rescue efforts

Rescuers are battling dense rainfall and snowfall arsenic they contention against the timepiece to find survivors of a devastating earthquake successful south-east Turkey.

At slightest 3,500 radical were killed successful Turkey and implicit the borderline successful Syria erstwhile the quake struck successful the aboriginal hours of Monday.

The World Health Organisation has warned the toll could summation by 8 times arsenic rescuers find much victims.

Many radical successful the catastrophe portion are excessively frightened to instrumentality to buildings.

The 7.8 magnitude tremor struck astatine 04:17 (01:17 GMT) connected Monday astatine a extent of 17.9km (11 miles) adjacent the metropolis of Gaziantep, according to the US Geological Survey.

Seismologists accidental it was 1 of the largest ever recorded successful Turkey. Survivors accidental it took 2 minutes for the shaking to stop.

A aboriginal tremor had a magnitude of 7.5, and its epicentre was successful the Elbistan territory of Kahramanmaras province.

As the aftershocks continued, immoderate rescuers dug done rubble with their bare hands looking for survivors.

In the Turkish metropolis of Osmaniye, adjacent the epicentre, pouring rainfall hampered rescuers arsenic they searched done the rubble looking for immoderate survivors.

The metropolis was without powerfulness arsenic the acold and rainfall acceptable in.

One household camped connected the thoroughfare - contempt the freezing temperatures - arsenic they were frightened of the aftershocks triggering different gathering to collapse.

Every clip they felt an aftershock, the household moved person into the mediate of the street.

A edifice proprietor successful the metropolis told the BBC that of 14 guests staying that nighttime lone 7 had been found.

Countries astir the satellite are sending enactment to assistance the rescue efforts, including specializer teams, sniffer dogs and equipment.

But the earthquake has caused important harm to 3 airports crossed Turkey, besides creating challenges for assistance deliveries.

Many of the deaths occurred in war-torn bluish Syria, wherever millions of refugees unrecorded successful camps connected the Turkish border.

British-born doc Shajul Islam has worked successful al-Shifa's infirmary successful Idlib, successful bluish Syria, for the past 7 years. He told BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight programme that the carnage successful the infirmary was the worst had ever seen.

"Our infirmary is full. We person astir 300-400 patients successful the infirmary close now... we virtually person 2 to 3 patients per bed," helium said.

He said helium was caring for 40-45 critically sick patients successful the ICU: "I'm taking patients disconnected ventilators to springiness them to different patients that mightiness person much of a accidental of surviving. We're virtually astatine the entranceway of the infirmary deciding which patients we are going to effort to save."

Following an planetary entreaty for help, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 45 countries had offered support.

UN Secretary General António Guterres called for an planetary response, saying that galore of the families deed by the catastrophe were "already successful dire request of humanitarian assistance successful areas wherever entree is simply a challenge".

The European Union is sending hunt and rescue teams to Turkey, portion rescuers from the Netherlands and Romania are already connected their way. The UK has said it volition nonstop 76 specialists, instrumentality and rescue dogs.

France, Germany, Israel, and the US person besides pledged to help. Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered assistance to some Turkey and Syria, arsenic has Iran.

Turkey lies successful 1 of the world's astir progressive earthquake zones.

In 1999 a quake killed much than 17,000 successful the north-west portion successful 1939, 33,000 radical died successful the eastbound state of Erzincan.

This earthquake was almighty capable to beryllium felt arsenic acold distant arsenic Cyprus, Lebanon and Israel.

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