Turkey and Syria earthquake... the death toll exceeds 11,000, and rescue operations are entering a critical phase

Two days after an earthquake that killed more than 11,000 people in Turkey and Syria and forced countless people from their homes in the freezing cold, the search continues through the rubble for survivors.

The World Health Organization fears the number of victims could reach her 20,000 and estimates the number of people affected by the earthquake at around 23 million.

In Turkey alone, the earthquake's death toll rose to his 8,574, while the number of injured rose to his 40,910, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said as he arrived in Karamanmaras on Wednesday afternoon. According to the statement issued.

Disaster management said about 100,000 search and rescue personnel were working in the affected areas, and officials said the next few hours would be critical to rescuing those trapped under the rubble.

The president's decision to impose a three-month state of emergency on affected areas has come into effect after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country was facing the worst disaster in its history.

Meanwhile, the number of earthquake victims across Syria has risen to 2,802, and the total death toll in both countries has risen to over 11,000.

Civil defense teams in northern Syria, known as the White Helmets, are suffering from increased casualties due to difficult access to affected areas, lack of equipment and heavy equipment, and cold weather. was witnessed.

The Civil Defense Agency indicated that more than 375 buildings had completely collapsed, more than 1,200 had partially collapsed, and thousands had cracks.