Turkey earthquake latest: Death toll passes 6,000, as three British citizens reported missing
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The death toll from a series of devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria has risen above 6,200, with rescue workers still searching for trapped survivors.
Authorities said 4,544 people have died in Turkey and 1,712 in Syria, bringing the total to 6,256.
Three British citizens are missing in Turkey, the Foreign Secretary has confirmed.
“As of this morning, we know that three British nationals are missing and the Foreign Office's Crisis Response Hub is working to support the at least 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by these earthquakes," James Cleverly said on Tuesday afternoon.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, has announced a three-month state of emergency.
"We have decided to declare a state of emergency to ensure that our (rescue and recovery) work can be carried out quickly," he said.
Turkey was rocked overnight by another earthquake of 5.6 magnitude, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.
Follow the latest updates below.
06:55 PM
What we learnt today
It has been a difficult day in southern Turkey and Syria, with the death toll from multiple deadly earthquakes passing 6,000.
Thousands of Turks have reportedly headed to airports in major cities so they can fly to the south and work as volunteers.
Turkey has announced a three-month state of emergency
A plane carrying 77 UK search and rescue specialists, state-of-the-art equipment and four search dogs has landed in Gaziantep in south-east Turkey.
Three British citizens reported missing
King Charles has sent a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
06:36 PM
King Charles releases statement
The King has sent a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following the recent earthquakes.
It reads:
Dear Mr. President,
My wife and I have been most shocked and profoundly saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes in South East Türkiye. I can only begin to imagine the scale of suffering and loss as a result of these dreadful tragedies and I particularly wanted to convey our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the families of all those who have lost their loved ones.
Our thoughts and special prayers are with everyone who has been affected by this appalling natural disaster, whether through injury or the destruction of their property, and also with the emergency services and those assisting in the rescue efforts.
Charles R.
06:13 PM
UK rescue teams lands in Turkey
A plane carrying 77 UK search and rescue specialists, state-of-the-art equipment and four search dogs has landed in Gaziantep in south-east Turkey, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has said.
The team, made up of firefighters and staff from 14 fire and rescue services from across the country, will cut their way into buildings and help locate survivors in the rubble of the earthquakes.
Their specialist equipment includes seismic listening devices, concrete cutting and breaking equipment and propping and shoring tools.
An emergency medical team was also on the flight and will conduct a full assessment of the situation on the ground, according to the FCDO.
05:58 PM
Aleppo's war-scarred citadel damaged in earthquake
The ancient citadel of Aleppo, scarred by Syria's 11-year conflict, suffered further damage in the earthquake that ravaged southern Turkey and northern Syria, a local architect and the Syrian antiquities directorate said.
On Tuesday a pile of rubble near the citadel was all that was left of a structure identified by local architect Mohammed al-Rifaei as the "sheep tower", which he said had stood there until the devastating early morning quake.
"We had repeatedly asked for the restoration of the tower, but now it needs to be rebuilt from scratch," Rifaei said.
Parts of an Ottoman-era mill had collapsed, walls had cracked and some of the dome of a mosque's minaret had fallen off.
The towering citadel, listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site, was significantly damaged in a long-running battle between government and rebel forces before it was reopened in 2018.
UNESCO said on Tuesday "significant damage" had been noted in the citadel. "The western tower of the old city has collapsed and several buildings in the souks have been weakened," it said.
05:40 PM
Fire at Turkey's Iskenderun Port extinguished
A fire that engulfed hundreds of shipping containers at Turkey's Iskenderun Port after massive earthquakes in the region have been extinguished, the defence ministry has said, but it is not clear when operations will resume at the port.
Turkey's maritime authority said on Monday that the port, located on the Mediterranean coast in the southern province of Hatay, was damaged due to the earthquake that struck Turkey and neighbouring Syria.
Drone footage showed fierce flames blackening hundreds of containers on the dock, with water jets from a fire truck dwarfed by the scale of the blaze that broke out on Monday. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
The blaze led to the shutdown of all operations at the terminal until further notice and forced freight liners to divert vessels to other ports.
The defence ministry said this afternoon that the fire was put out thanks to efforts by military helicopters and planes after Monday's efforts to douse the flames from offshore failed.
05:24 PM
Doctor says bodies 'everywhere' in collapsed Iskenderun hospital
Rescue teams and survivors climbed through the twisted remains of an Iskenderun hospital today, searching for signs of life.
There was little amongst the debris to suggest the building, in Turkey, was a busy medical facility less than two days before.
One of the hospital's surviving physicians, who identified himself only as Dr. Deveci, said he found the scene at his workplace hard to witness.
"I'm devastated. I see bodies inside, everywhere. Although I'm used to seeing bodies because of my expertise, it's very difficult for me," he said.
Much of Iskenderun, a port city located in Turkey's southern Hatay province, lay in ruins after the magnitude 7.8 quake hit just after 4 am on Monday. More than 1,200 buildings were destroyed in Hatay alone.
05:07 PM
Death toll passes 6,000
The death toll from a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria rose above 6,200 today, official data showed, with rescue workers still searching for trapped survivors.
Authorities said 4,544 people have died in Turkey and 1,712 in Syria, bringing the total to 6,256.
04:47 PM
Turkey detains four over quake social media posts
Turkish police have detained four people over "provocative" social media posts.
The four individuals were detained after officers found accounts that shared "provocative posts aiming to create fear and panic", following the earthquake, police said.
It added that a wider investigation into social media accounts was ongoing but offered no information on the content of the posts.
Turkish authorities have in the last few years cracked down on social media posts, especially those considered to support "terror", but this has led to accusations that freedom of expression has been curtailed.
Turkish social media has been filled with posts by people who complain about a lack of search and rescue efforts in their area, particularly in Hatay.
04:24 PM
UK firefighters arrive in Turkey
Four crew members from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have arrived in Turkey to join a UK team of search and rescue specialists.
Working as part of the UK International Search and Rescue Team, Greater Manchester firefighters have previously been deployed to earthquakes in Haiti and Japan.
Assistant chief fire officer Barry Moore said: "Our thoughts go out to the many thousands across Turkey and Syria who have tragically lost loved ones and livelihoods in these earthquakes, and to the emergency responders working to locate and rescue survivors.
"We know that those rescue efforts are taking place in challenging winter conditions, compounding what is already a very difficult operation.
"Four of our firefighters have now arrived in Turkey and will rapidly be deployed to assist search and rescue operations in the affected areas.
"As part of the UK-ISAR team, they are trained in the use of specialist skills and equipment and ready to respond to any humanitarian disaster that takes place anywhere in the world."
04:06 PM
In a first, Egypt's Sisi calls Syria's Assad after quake
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Syria's Bashar al-Assad today to offer support after a devastating earthquake, their offices announced, in the first official exchange between the two leaders.
Ahmed Fahmy, spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, said Sisi "expressed his sincere condolences" in the wake of the 7.8-magnitude quake that hit Syria and neighbouring Turkey early on Monday, killing more than 5,000 people.
In Syria, state media and rescuers said more than 1,600 have died and over 3,600 injured across the country.
"President Sisi reiterated Egypt's solidarity with Syria and its brotherly people in this calamity. He also directed that all possible aid be provided to Syria," Fahmy said.
Syrian state news agency SANA said "President Assad thanked Egypt for this position, which reflects the fraternal relations that bind the two brotherly countries."
While Egyptian state media noted the presidents' call was their first since Sisi assumed office in 2014, the two countries have maintained relations during Syria's 12-year war, unlike some other Arab countries who severed ties with Damascus.
Egypt's official position on Syria has called for "a political solution", steering clear of discussing the fate of Assad himself, whose departure has long been demanded by several Arab leaders.
03:47 PM
Ukraine to send aid to Turkey
War-ravaged Ukraine will send an 87-strong search and rescue team to Turkey to "help eliminate the consequences" of the earthquake.
The announcement came in a decree published on the Ukrainian Cabinet office's website.
Earlier Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a separate decree instructing his Cabinet to "ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to Turkey."
Speaking to @RTErdogan, I expressed condolences over the tragedy that befell the 🇹🇷 people due to the earthquakes. I informed of the decision to send a group of rescuers and equipment from 🇺🇦 to 🇹🇷 to help in overcoming the aftermath. They will soon arrive in 🇹🇷 affected regions.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 7, 2023
03:27 PM
Families mourn the dead in Syria
Syrians mourn over the bodies of a family and close neighbours in the village of Hajji Iskandar who were killed as their family home collapsed during the deadly earthquake.
03:14 PM
Earthquake knocks out Syrian aid lifeline, UN says
Aid flows from Turkey to northwest Syria have temporarily stopped due to the fallout of a devastating earthquake, a UN spokesperson has said, leaving aid workers grappling with the problem of how to help people in a country fractured by war.
The cross-border aid operation overseen by the United Nations since 2014 has been crucial to Syrians who fled President Bashar al-Assad's rule during the conflict, bypassing territory he controls.
There was no clear picture of when the aid - upon which some 4 million people depend - would resume, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), told Reuters.
"Some roads are broken, some are inaccessible. There are logistical issues that need to be worked through," she said.
"We are exploring all avenues to reach people in need," she said.
02:58 PM
UAE to allocate $100m for earthquake relief efforts
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan has ordered the allocation of $100 million to support earthquake relief efforts in Syria and Turkey, state news agency WAM has reported.
02:48 PM
Sunak pledges support 'as quickly as possible'
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the British Government is working to send support to those affected by the "incredibly tragic situation" in Turkey and Syria "as quickly as possible".
"It's obviously an incredibly tragic situation that we're all seeing in Turkey and Syria," he said.
"I want everyone to know that we are doing what we can to provide support, we are in touch with the authorities in both Syria and Turkey.
"And specifically we are in the process of sending 77 search and rescue experts to Turkey - that's the most immediate need that they have communicated to us that we can help with - we do have people who are particularly experienced at that.
"We will be sending that support as quickly as possible."
02:37 PM
Another three-year-old rescued from Syria
3 year old Abdul Haseeb rescued in northwest Syria, along with his two brothers, after 36 hours under the rubble. Photograph taken in Atarib Surgical Hospital, via @sams_usa. pic.twitter.com/1sBsGyuhDF
— Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) February 7, 2023
02:13 PM
Sole border crossing for Syria aid damaged by quake
The sole border crossing used to shuttle life-saving aid from Turkey into conflict-ravaged Syria has seen its operations disrupted by the deadly earthquake that struck the two countries, the UN said Tuesday.
The 7.8-magnitude quake and its aftershocks struck Turkey and Syria on Monday and killed more than 5,000 people.
"The cross-border operation has itself been impacted," Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, told reporters in Geneva.
"It is a disaster zone," he said, appealing for politics to be put aside to allow desperately needed aid to get through.
01:55 PM
Miracle of newborn baby delivered in Syria's rubble
Earlier today we reported on the case of a newborn baby being delivered and freed from rubble in Afrin, northern Syria. Sadly, the baby's mother has reportedly died.
Earlier this morning the baby's fate after being taken from the wreckage was unclear.
It has now been confirmed that the baby girl is safe and alive, as shown in the below picture, though she is the sole survivor of her family.
You can watch the moment the baby was rescued below:
01:23 PM
Repairs begin on key airports in southern Turkey
Turkish authorities say they have started repairing runways in two key airports in the country's south-east in a hope to speed up the relief efforts.
Monday's earthquakes has mangled runways at the airports in Hatay and Malatya, which severely impedes efforts to fly in rescue workers and supplies to some of the worst affected areas.
Turkey's state agency for airports said on Tuesday authorities have started work to re-open those airports. Once the runways are functioning again, Hatay and Malatya will be able to receive planes bringing cargo of construction equipment as well as rescue teams, the agency said.
01:16 PM
Three Britons missing in Turkey
"As of this morning, we know that three British nationals are missing and the Foreign Office's Crisis Response Hub is working to support the at least 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by these earthquakes," foreign secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday afternoon.
12:50 PM
How you can help the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria
Twenty-four hours after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit south-east Turkey and northern Syria, the news becomes ever worse, Abigail Buchanan writes.
She has compiled a list of organisations working to help Syria and Turkey - with all the details on what they are doing. You can read more here.
12:23 PM
Before and after: little Raghad rests with a blanket after rescue
12:20 PM
Further details on state of emergency
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at Ankara's earthquake response centre on Tuesday the state of emergency is required to streamline rescue and reconstruction efforts.
The move means a large part of the country will be under a state of emergency at least just before Turks will go to polls in a crucial presidential election.
12:07 PM
Erdogan declares three month state of emergency
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turksh president, announced a three-month state of emergency on Tuesday as the death toll from a series of major earthquakes in the south and in neighbouring Syria reached 5,000.
"We have decided to declare a state of emergency to ensure that our (rescue and recovery) work can be carried out quickly," he said.
11:58 AM
Syria 'must allow aid' into quake-hit areas
Amnesty International has expressed concern that the Syrian regime may not allow aid to reach rebel-controlled areas of the country hit by earthquakes.
For more than a decade, a civil war has raged between the regime in Damascus and the rebels. Some of the worst affected parts of Syria, such as Idlib, are in rebel-controlled areas.
An Amnesty spokesman said:
The Syrian government must allow aid to reach all areas affected by the earthquake without restriction.
All parties, particularly Syrian government and Russian forces, must immediately cease attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as indiscriminate attacks in the region.
11:50 AM
British aid temporarily delayed
Andrew Mitchell, the UK environment minister has suggested that a plane with British aid workers has been delayed but will soon be on its way. He said:
Britain is sending 76 people who specialise in getting people out of the rubble and four sniffer dogs, and also an emergency response team," he told GB News.
The critical thing in these circumstances is the first 72 hours. These significant British assets are waiting to leave Birmingham. They were ready to leave last night.
It has to be coordinated with the Turkish authorities. I expect them to leave within the next couple of hours so that they land in daylight. And then this British expertise will be helping what is a huge, international effort to save lives.
11:43 AM
Video: rescuers retrieve children from rubble
11:35 AM
More harrowing images from the region
11:25 AM
How the world is supporting Turkey and Syria
Here is a breakdown of the aid being supplied by countries worldwide in response to the earthquake.
Britain: Foreign minister James Cleverly said the UK was sending a team of 76 search and rescue specialists, equipment and rescue dogs. Britain was also sending an emergency medical team to assess the situation on the ground.
United States: President Joe Biden said that US teams were "deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts". National security spokesman John Kirby said the United States was sending two search-and-rescue teams of 79 people each, while the Pentagon and USAID were coordinating with their Turkish counterparts.
China: China said the first Chinese rescue teams started work in Turkey on Tuesday and that it was sending $5.9 million in emergency aid to the country, including rescue and medical teams
India: Two of India's National Disaster Response Force teams comprising 100 personnel with dog squads and equipment were ready to be flown to the affected area, the foreign ministry said. Doctors and paramedics with medicines were also being readied.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin promised to send Russian teams to both countries in telephone calls with Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Germany: Home to about three million people of Turkish origin, Germany will "mobilise all the assistance we can activate", Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
Japan: The government in Japan - which frequently suffers earthquakes - is dispatching the Japan Disaster Relief Rescue Team to Turkey.
11:11 AM
Screams fill the streets as Turkey’s earthquake buries families in their sleep
If you didn't read it last night, you can still read this longer report from our correspondents on the rescue efforts.
Long after midnight the excavators tore urgently at the rubble of the collapsed apartment building, working through the freezing night to remove rebar and concrete and clothing and carpet, though the rescue workers knew the likelihood of finding survivors was slim.
This was a recovery operation, not a rescue, said Ilker, a 43-year-old environmental engineer whose aunt was missing under the rubble of this building on Süleyman Demirel Boulevard on the outskirts of Adana in southern Turkey, 140 miles from one of Monday's twin earthquakes.
"We are still hoping, even though we know in our hearts it is nearly impossible for them still to be alive," he told The Telegraph. "But we still have hope until we see what the result is."
10:56 AM
Thousands head to Istanbul airport to volunteer
Thousands of Turks have reportedly headed to airports in major cities so they can fly to the south and work as volunteers.
Mehmet Çelik, a Daily Sabah journalist, posted images online earlier which show the huge numbers of volunteers at Istanbul airport/
Average citizens flock to Istanbul airport to volunteer in earthquake stricken areas in southeast Türkiye 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/EzV9D9FK9s
— Mehmet Çelik (@celik) February 7, 2023
10:43 AM
Quake 'may have killed thousands of children'
"The earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early yesterday morning may have killed thousands of children," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder has just said at a briefing in Geneva.
The group said it was unable to give a more accurate figure at this time.
10:34 AM
Jailed opposition leader criticises Erdogan over emergency response
The jailed former leader of a major Turkish opposition party has criticised President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for dragging his feet on the response and not declaring a military mobilisation.
Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the HDP, in a statement published by his team on Twitter said "mobilisation should have been announced at once" to help the relief efforts.
He also raised questions about President Erdogan's actions as he visited the earthquake response centre once on Monday morning and has not been heard from since.
"The president should not have left the coordination centre for a minute," he said. "Does anyone know where he is?"
10:26 AM
The Syria death toll explained
There are two entities monitoring the death toll in war torn Syria: the White Helmets in rebel-controlled northwest Syria and the Assad regime in Damascus.
The White Helmets say in their region more than 790 people have died, while the Assad regime says there have been 812 deaths in regime-controlled areas.
That leads to a death toll total of 1602 people in Syria.
09:57 AM
WHO issues urgent call for aid to Syria
Adelheid Marschang, the World Health Organisation's senior emergency officer, has said that Syria is in much more urgent need of aid than Turkey, which has a functioning government and rescue agencies.
This is a crisis on top of multiple crises in the affected region she said at the organization's board meeting in Geneva. All over Syria, the needs are the highest after nearly 12 years of protracted, complex crisis, while humanitarian funding continues to decline.
09:44 AM
Latest images from the scene
09:22 AM
Rescue teams beginning to reach devastated Hatay area
The governor of the southern region of Hatay says rescue teams have started to arrive in the badly affected province where many locals say they have not received help or seen a single emergency worker 36 hours after the earthquake hit, Nataliya Vasilyeva in Istanbul reports.
Lutfu Savas, governor of Hatay, on Halk TV on Monday thanked the mayors of Turkey's three largest towns for sending food, tents and drinking water to the residents.
He said nearly 2,000 buildings have been destroyed in Hataya, including the municipality and the firefighters' department.
"Our losses are very high," he said.
Local residents across Hatay, a southern region that borders on Turkey, told the Telegraph they are having to remove the debris themselves, and 36 hours after the first tremor they have yet to see first responders.
09:20 AM
Twenty three million people may have been affected - WHO
The World Health Organisation has warned that as many as 23m people could be affected by the earthquake. More details to follow.
08:56 AM
Turkey arrests four over 'provocative' social media posts
Turkish police have arrested four people for posting what they describe as "provocative" social media posts online.
The online material was "provocative posts aiming to create fear and panic" according to police, perhaps implying that disinformation about the quake was being spread.
It is unclear what exactly the posts said but many Turks have taken to social media to criticise the emergency response by Turkish authorities, especially in disaster-stricken Hatay.
08:50 AM
Disaster management agency building in Hatay destroyed
In Hatay, one of the worst affected cities, the building that houses the region's disaster management agency has collapsed.
That's according to Ragip Soylu, the Turkey bureau chief for Middle East Eye.
He says in a post on Twitter that the residents in Hatay are so distraught that, when speaking to them, they "only cry...that’s the only thing they could do."
08:36 AM
Total collapse of highway connecting major cities in southern Turkey
According to Turkish media, a road connecting Gaziantep and Adana in southern Turkey has completely collapsed.
One video posted online shows that the road has been practically cut in half, with a ten foot drop between both ends.
The damage to infrastructure will make it much harder for aid workers to reach the most severely affected areas.
08:25 AM
Huge blaze rages on in Iskenderun port
Yesterday dozens if not hundreds of shipping containers were tossed around Iskenderun port like pieces on a board game when the earthquake struck.
This morning the fire, which appears to have been caused by flammable materials inside them, continues to burn.
İskenderun Limanı'nda yangın devam ediyor. pic.twitter.com/Rr4qXTGF9j
— Pusholder (@pusholder) February 7, 2023
08:19 AM
At least 1,600 dead in Syria alone
At least 1,602 people were killed and thousands injured in Syria following a number of deadly earthquakes and aftershocks in neighbouring Turkey, Reuters reports this morning.
State news agency SANA said at least 812 people were killed and 1,449 people injured in the government-held provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Idlib and Tartous.
08:15 AM
California to send rescue dogs to Turkey, Israel sending 150 rescuers
Officials in California say nearly 100 Los Angeles County firefighters and structural engineers, along with six specially trained dogs, are being sent to Turkey.
Israel says it's sending a team of 150 people, including rescue workers and medical staff. Israel and Turkey have had tense diplomatic relations in recent years but they have gradually improved.
.@IsraelMFA colleagues just landed in Adana, Türkiye, as part of the Israeli assistance. They are here to help our dear Turkish friends in those difficult moments. #TurkeyEarthquake 🇹🇷🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/xn37aGc8yz
— Emmanuel Nahshon (@EmmanuelNahshon) February 7, 2023
08:07 AM
24,000 rescuers deployed by Turkey alone
Turkey has deployed more than 24,400 search and rescue personnel to the quake area, according to the Associated Press.
The number was expected to rise with the arrival of additional personnel though the wintry conditions were hampering their deployment, disaster management agency official Orhan Tatar said.
"The adverse weather conditions continue in the region. Therefore, from time to time it may be difficult to transport these search and rescue teams to the region," he said.
07:57 AM
Newborn 'saved from rubble'
A tiny newborn baby clutched from the wreckage of his family home was the most stunning of several miracle rescues that emerged in the aftermath of Monday’s catastrophic earthquake, Nicola Smith reports.
An unverified viral video showed the unclothed infant being cradled and rushed to safety past rubble and diggers in Afrin, northern Syria. It is believed he was born under collapsed buildings in the hours after the 7.8 quake, but that his mother tragically died.
Elsewhere, in the Syrian village of Qatma, three small, dust-covered toes, poking through the broken iron rods in a mound of rubble offered a glimmer of hope to Syrian rescuers as they raced to rescue another young boy.
Ahmed, a child of about four or five years old, was trapped by a giant, concrete slab as his home pancaked and crumbled when the earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday morning as he slept in his bed.
In a dramatic video released by the Syrian White Helmets, rescuers can be seen shouting urgent instructions to each other over the hammering of a pneumatic drill as they try to extract him from his terrifyingly cramped prison under precarious debris. Against the odds, they pull the boy free.
He is visibly in pain, scratched and caked in mud and blood, letting out a feeble cry as he cradled by a rescue worker and carried to safety. Ahmed is later seen on a stretcher, fitted with an oxygen mask as an ambulance rushes him to hospital. A medic by his side quietly comforts him with the word “yalla”, or “come on.”
Little is known about Ahmed or his family, beyond reports that his family had already been displaced by Syria’s brutal war to the village of Qatma, north of Aleppo.
07:41 AM
Watch: moment building collapses as rescue efforts continue
07:29 AM
Rabbis save Torah scrolls from damaged synagoge
Jewish residents in Antakya, Turkey, have rescued a number of Torah scrolls from their synagogue after the city was struck by the earthquakes.
Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, the chair of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic states, posted a video clip that showed the scrolls, wrapped up in bundles, being taken away.
"Saving ancient Torah scrolls from the earthquake damaged synagogue of Antakya - home for a Jewish community for 2500 years... ," he wrote in a post in Twitter.
07:23 AM
Fleet of ten ships to ferry wounded from Turkey
Orhan Tatar, head of Turkey's agency in charge of earthquake response, said early Tuesday the number of injured is at least 20,426 and over 11,302 buildings have reportedly been destroyed.
Officials will be using ten ships to send injured residents to hospitals from the Mediterranean Sea port of Iskenderun.
Turkey is scrambling to respond to its most devastating earthquake in over eight decades as residents in several areas say they still haven not seen emergency workers more than 24 hours after the first tremor.
The death toll in Mondays' earthquake has gone up to 3,381 people, officials say.
06:46 AM
Freezing temperatures hamper rescue efforts
Freezing winter weather hampered the search for survivors overnight.
In the southern province of Hatay, Turkey, a woman's voice was heard calling for help under a pile of rubble. Nearby, the body of a small child lay lifeless.
"They're making noises but nobody is coming," a resident named Deniz said, while weeping in the rain.
"We're devastated, we're devastated. My God ... They're calling out. They're saying, 'Save us,' but we can't save them. How are we going to save them? There has been nobody since the morning."
Temperatures plummeted close to freezing overnight, worsening conditions for people trapped under rubble or left homeless.
In Kahramanmaras, north of Hatay, entire families gathered around fires and wrapped themselves in blankets to stay warm.
"We barely made it out of the house," said Neset Guler, huddled around the fire with his four children. "Our situation is a disaster. We are hungry, we are thirsty. It's miserable."
06:40 AM
Doctors Without Borders staff member dead as medical facilities overwhelmed
The medical aid organisation Doctors Without Borders has said a staff member has been found dead under the rubble of his house in Syria's Idlib province.
Other members of the organisation have also lost families, the group said.
"We are very shocked and saddened by the impact of this disaster on the thousands of people touched by it, including our colleagues and their families," Sebastien Gay said, the group's head of mission in Syria.
Meanwhile, medical facilities in northern Syria and Turkey have been overwhelmed with huge numbers of injured people, with medical personnel working around the clock to treat the wounded.
05:48 AM
In pictures: Rescue teams race to save survivors in Turkey overnight
05:29 AM
Map of the earthquakes on Feb 6
05:09 AM
China to give Turkey $6m in emergency aid
China has announced it will give 40 million yuan ($5.9 million USD) in emergency aid to assist Turkey's relief efforts following the country's major earthquake, state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday.
In addition, China's Red Cross will give emergency aid of $200,000 to both Turkey and Syria.
Meanwhile, New Zealand will provide $1.5 million NZD to the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver items such as food, tents and blankets, as well as provide medical assistance and psychological support.
05:03 AM
Watch: Syrian boy Ahmed found alive under concrete pile in earthquake rubble
Three tiny, dust-covered toes, poking through the broken iron rods in a mound of rubble offered a glimmer of hope to Syrian rescuers on Monday as they raced to rescue a young boy in the village of Qatma.
Ahmed, a child of about four or five years old, was trapped by a giant, concrete slab as his home pancaked and crumbled when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday morning as he slept in his bed.
In a dramatic video released by the Syrian White Helmets, rescuers can be seen shouting urgent instructions to each other over the hammering of a pneumatic drill as they try to extract him from his terrifyingly cramped prison under precarious debris. Against the odds, they pull the boy free.
Ahmed, a displaced child, was rescued from the ruins of his home in the village of Qatma, north of #Aleppo, #Syria. The family's house was destroyed by today's devastating #earthquake. pic.twitter.com/Ec4pommcLc
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) February 6, 2023
Read the full story by Nicola Smith here
04:19 AM
Death toll climbs to over 4,300 people
The confirmed body count from the powerful earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria has risen to over 4,300 as rescue workers contended with dangerous aftershocks including a 5.5-magnitude quake on Tuesday morning.
More survivors were pulled from the rubble overnight, bringing hope for families and search crews who have had to concede time is running out to get to every person known to be trapped under piles of tangled metal and concrete.
Bitterly cold temperatures could reduce the time frame that rescuers have to save trapped survivors, said Dr Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University. The difficulty of working in areas beset by civil war would further complicate rescue efforts, he said.
Read the full story here
04:15 AM
Good morning
A 5.6 magnitude earthquake has struck central Turkey this morning.
Meanwhile, the disaster death toll has soared above 4,300 people across Turkey and Syria.
We will bring you the latest updates here in our live blog today.