Over 17,000 Earthquake Deaths... Still 200,000 People Trapped in Debris

On the afternoon of the 8th (local time), rescue teams and citizens are conducting rescue operations in the city of Iskenderun, Turkey. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The death toll from the earthquake in T?rkiye and Syria surpassed 17,100 on the 9th (local time). However, it is estimated that up to 200,000 citizens in T?rkiye alone are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Since the 'golden time' for rescue, considered to be 72 hours, has passed, there are concerns that the number of casualties will increase further.

According to foreign media including AFP, T?rkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported that the death toll reached 14,014 on the fourth day after the earthquake. In Syria, which shares a border with T?rkiye, authorities and the rebel rescue group 'White Helmets' reported a death toll of 3,162.

The combined death toll for the two countries is 17,176. This is close to the number of deaths in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (18,500 deaths). The World Health Organization (WHO) predicted that the death toll from this earthquake could exceed 20,000, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) stated there is a 14% chance that it could exceed 100,000.

Obgun Ahmet, a leading earthquake scientist in T?rkiye, estimated that up to 200,000 citizens are trapped under collapsed buildings. The survival time for earthquake victims buried under rubble is generally known to be 72 hours. T?rkiye and Syria are experiencing subzero temperatures with snow and rain, increasing the likelihood that those trapped under debris may die from hypothermia and other causes.

However, on the ground, rescue efforts are intensifying without giving up hope despite the 72-hour mark having passed. A total of 5,125 overseas relief workers dispatched from 51 countries are striving to save as many people as possible. South Korea's emergency relief team rescued five people by 11:50 a.m. on the first day of their operation, including a man in his mid-70s, a 40-year-old man, a 2-year-old girl, a 35-year-old woman, and a 10-year-old girl.

T?rkiye, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is receiving abundant support, but Syria is under international sanctions and is not receiving direct aid from many countries. In particular, rebel-controlled areas are considered blind spots for relief efforts.