Our live coverage of the quake and rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria has moved here.
February 7, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news
By Tara Subramaniam, Sana Noor Haq, Christian Edwards, Ed Upright, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Mike Hayes, Tori B. Powell and Elise Hammond, CNN
Updated 12:03 a.m. ET, February 8, 2023
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Grieving father holds 15-year-old daughter's hand after she died in the quake
Heartbreaking photos show a father in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, clutching the lifeless hand of his daughter after she was crushed under concrete in Monday's devastating earthquake.
Mesut Hancer, sitting hunched amid the ruins, can be seen holding onto his 15-year-old child while her body remains trapped beneath the rubble.
Broken glass, destroyed furniture and twisted steel surround the family, as workers conduct a colossal rescue mission in near freezing temperatures.
Nearly 8,000 people have now been confirmed dead and some 40,000 others injured following Monday's quake, according to officials in Turkey and Syria.
Survivors are still being pulled from the rubble more than 48 hours after the quake hit, crushing thousands under their homes.
The rescue of a 14-year-old boy in Kahramanmaras broadcast live on air on Tuesday offered a glimmer of hope that others will survive, but the death toll continues to climb as search teams navigate blocked roads, collapsed infrastructure and violent aftershocks.
Massive rescue efforts are underway in Turkey and Syria. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
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.
As support arrives from around the world, the scale of the humanitarian crisis is becoming clearer and aid agencies are warning of the difficulties in both reaching survivors and treating the injured.
Here's the latest:
- Rising death toll: At least 7,926 people have now been confirmed dead and nearly 40,000 injured following Monday's quake, according to officials in Turkey and Syria. Agencies have said those numbers could rise significantly as many people remain trapped under the rubble.
- Rescue efforts: Countries and organizations from across the globe have responded to the crisis with money, equipment and boots on the ground. Doctors Without Borders says it has 500 staff working in Syria — some of whom lost family members in the quake. NATO said its members are sending more than 1,400 emergency response personnel, and a US rescue team is expect to land in the Turkish city of Adana on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mexico's beloved rescue dogs are also headed to Turkey.
- Miracle rescue: A newborn baby girl has been rescued from the rubble of her home in northern Syria. Her umbilical cord was still attached to her mother when she was found, a relative told Agence France-Presse. Her mother is believed to have died after giving birth.
- Tough conditions: Extreme winter weather is impacting rescue efforts. Aftershocks are also a potential hazard — at least 125 measuring 4.0 or greater have occurred since the 7.8 magnitude quake struck southern Turkey on Monday, according to the US Geological Survey. Though their frequency and magnitude are decreasing, 5.0 to 6.0+ aftershocks are still possible and bring a risk of additional damage to compromised structures and a continued threat to rescue teams and survivors.
- Widespread destruction: Thousands of buildings collapsed in the two nations and aid agencies are warning of “catastrophic” repercussions in northwest Syria, where millions of vulnerable and displaced people were already relying on humanitarian support. Satellite images show the extent of the damage in the Turkish towns of Islahiye and Nurdagi near the quake's epicenter.
- Humanitarian catastrophe: The World Health Organization 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. The damage caused a temporary disruption to the UN's cross-border aid into Syria, with UN humanitarian teams exploring all avenues to reach those in need. Meanwhile, hospitals in war-hit Syria are “absolutely overloaded,” UNICEF's representative in Aleppo said.
NATO flags fly at half-staff following deadly quake
From CNN’s Sahar Akbarzai
NATO flags flew at half-staff at the defense alliance's headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, following the deadly earthquake in Turkey.
In a Twitter post, the 30-member alliance — of which Turkey is a member — outlined its contributions to relief efforts.
“Over 1,400 emergency response personnel from more than twenty #NATO Allies and partners – including invitees Finland and Sweden – are deploying to Türkiye , helping to respond to the devastating earthquakes which struck the country," the post said.
NATO and its partners are providing assistance to Turkey through seismic experts, search and rescue teams with dogs, freighters, structural engineers, and medical personnel and supplies, according to a NATO news release.
“At this terrible time, we stand in solidarity with our Ally Türkiye and with all those affected, and NATO Allies stand ready to provide further assistance to those in need,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said.
Quake toll at over 7,900 deaths — and it's expected to rise significantly more in Syria, officials say
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi in Gaziantep, Turkey
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has risen to at least 7,926 people, according to officials.
The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the "White Helmets," said on Tuesday that the number of fatalities in rebel-held areas in northwest Syria rose to 1,220 and the number of injured people rose to 2,600.
Those figures are "expected to rise significantly due to the presence of hundreds of families under the rubble," the group added.
"Our teams continue search and rescue operations amid difficult circumstances," it said, describing a tally of more than 400 collapsed buildings, more than 1,300 partially collapsed buildings and thousands of others that were damaged by the early morning quake.
At least 812 deaths have been confirmed in government-controlled parts of Syria, state media SANA reported.
In Turkey, at least 5,894 people are dead and 34,810 injured, Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday.
Mexico's famous rescue dogs are headed to Turkey
From CNN's Sahar Akbarzai
Mexico's famous rescue dogs are headed to Turkey following the catastrophic earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday.
Mexico is famous for its highly trained and specialized search and rescue dogs. The canines are used frequently in Mexico, a country prone to earthquakes due to its location at the edge of the North American tectonic plate.
Julia, Ecko, Orly, Timba, Rex and July are among the 16 dogs who took off Tuesday morning from Mexico City and headed toward Turkey.
"The heart of our rescue team is currently flying to Turkey," Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard tweeted on Tuesday.
Under the instructions of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a specialized inter-institutional urban search and rescue team made up of 150 people, which includes USAR-accredited personnel from the Ministries of Defense, Navy, and the Mexican Red Cross were dispatched Tuesday, according to a press release from Mexico's Foreign Ministry.
"The team includes medical and food service cells, 35 search and rescue experts from the Mexican Army Immediate Emergency Response Team (ERIED) (25 specialists and 10 canine teams), 37 members of the Navy (35 USAR and 2 canine teams), five Foreign Ministry officials and 15 members of the Red Cross," the release said.
The team of dogs will land in Adana, a major southern city near the epicenter of the earthquake, according to the statement.
Read more here.
Nearly 70% of Syrian population was in need of humanitarian aid before earthquake
From CNN's Jomana Karadsheh in Adana and Jessie Gretener
The United Nations says nearly 70% of Syria’s population was in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake — an issue that has only been compounded by the tragedy.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for Syria and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis said:
"This tragedy will have a devastating impact on many vulnerable families who struggle to provide for their loved ones on a daily basis.”
The statement outlined the impact of Syria’s 12-year war, describing a country as “grappling with economic collapse and severe water, electricity, and fuel shortages.” The pair issued an appeal to all donor partners to “provide the assistance necessary to alleviate suffering.”
The UN and humanitarian partners say they are currently focusing on immediate needs, including food, shelter, non-food items and medicine.
In Syria, at least 1,832 people have died and another 3,849 people have been injured as a result of a devastating earthquake that hit Monday.
500 Doctors Without Borders staffers are working in the Syrian region, executive director says
The clock is ticking and cold temperatures have set in as rescue teams search for survivors from Monday's earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
Avril Benoît, executive director of Doctors Without Borders, said search and rescue is the most urgent need on the ground right now. Around 500 staffers with the humanitarian medical organization are working in the Syrian region — some of whom have family members who were lost in the earthquake, she said.
"The ideal window is to be able to bring people out within 48 hours," Benoît told CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday. "It's highly risky and the likelihood of finding people alive diminishes and then from there, you've got people with catastrophic injuries. We've seen time and again with earthquakes that that is not only a need for trauma care, but then it's infection control, it's management of their postoperative care, rehabilitation, reconstruction of the hospitals themselves."
She said babies are still being born and Doctors Without Borders has had to redeploy staffers from other medical units to assist evacuated mothers and newborns.
"Sometimes you're evacuating to facilities, other hospital structures that frankly don't necessarily have the integrity – structurally – that you would want, ideally," Benoît said.
Doctors Without Borders is working to provide "all the essentials" to those in need, according to Benoît.
Here are ways to help victims of the earthquake.
Toll from Turkey-Syria quake keeps climbing with more than 7,700 people now reported killed
From CNN's Talia Kayali and Mitchell McCluskey
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 7,726.
In an update Tuesday, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said that at least 5,894 people are now dead and 34,810 injured in Turkey. In Syria, at least 1,832 deaths and 3,849 injuries have been reported.
At least 16,139 teams are working on search and rescue efforts, with additional international teams to be added, Oktay said.