Live updates: Sensational rescues as more people pulled alive on 10th day

Rescue efforts are continuing in quake-hit Adiyaman, Hatay, Kahramanmaras and other provinces on day 10 following last week's twin quakes that have left more than 41,000 dead in Türkiye and Syria.

More spectacular rescues have been made ten days after the catastrophic earthquakes hit southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria.

According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, more than 35,000 people have died, making it the deadliest of such disasters in Türkiye since the founding of the republic 100 years ago.

The 35,418 reported deaths surpassed those recorded from the massive Erzincan earthquake in 1939 which killed around 33,000 people.

In neighbouring Syria, the number of deaths reached 5,814, according to the latest reports, bringing the total death toll from both countries to over 41,232.

Here is how you can help the earthquake victims.

Following are the latest updates:

Eight Turkish television channels have initiated an aid drive to help the survivors of last week’s devastating earthquakes that hit 10 Turkish provinces affecting millions of people. (AP)

Argentine team says rescue mission 'gives us hope'

Argentina team has been hailed for its efforts in rescuing a woman, a boy and a girl in Hatay province, working alongside the Turkish disaster management agency AFAD.

"The feeling we have in our bodies is one we cannot really explain, because the truth is that it is a miracle in the midst of so much chaos," said Argentina rescuer, Lourdes Dominguez Melchor.

"This situation gives us hope for the future days that we have left. With all our might we will continue to give our best."We profoundly appreciate the effort and solidarity of the team of Humanitarian Assistance White Helmets (in) Argentina who rescued three people alive in Türkiye. Thank you very much!," the Turkish Embassy in Buenos Aires said.

Costa Rica expresses solidarity with quake victims

Costa Rica's Vice Minister of Bilateral Affairs and International Cooperation Lydia Peralta Cordero has visited Türkiye’s Ambassador Fatma Pihava Unlu to offer solidarity and condolences.

Cordero said "the ties of brotherhood and closeness unite both countries".

The Turkish Embassy confirmed Dr. Arnoldo Andre Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, will visit Türkiye on February 16-18 to express his country's solidarity and condolences.

Young Brazilian sends 'heartwarming letter' for Turkish people

"We have just received a heartwarming letter from our little Brazilian friend, Sofia. She showed her solidarity with the Turkish people affected by the earthquakes. She sent us a lovely drawing, words of solidarity as well as 14 Reais ($2.68)," the Turkish Embassy in Brazil said.

The drawing shows a pink and yellow heart "from Sofia to Türkiye" alongside a hand designed envelope and Sofia's money.

The Turkish Embassy in Brasilia confirmed "we will send it to Türkiye. Thank you so much."

Turkish Embassy in Panama receives tents, generators

The Turkish Embassy in Panama has received tents from a charity, Shelterbox.

It said that Panama's Islamic Culture Center has donated generators, adding donations will be flown to Türkiye shortly while thanking the organisations for "solidarity" with the Turkish people.

0001 GMT — Turkish TV channels raise billions for quake victims

Eight Turkish television channels have raised more than $6 billion during an aid drive to help the survivors of last week's devastating earthquakes that hit 10 Turkish provinces affecting millions of people.

The channels ATV, FOX, Kanal D, Kanal 7, Show TV, Star TV, TRT 1 and TV8 ran a live joint broadcast on Wednesday for the aid campaign called "Türkiye beats with one heart."

The campaign managed to generate more than $6.1 billion (115.1 billion Turkish liras) during the eight-hour campaign.

1910 GMT — US top diplomat to visit Türkiye

US top diplomat to visit Türkiye beginning February 19 to view US efforts to aid Turkish response to deadly earthquakes, will meet Turkish counterpart in Ankara.

1825 GMT — Libya dispatches tonnes of medical supplies to quake victims in Türkiye

Turkish Ambassador in Tripoli Kenan Yilmaz said that the Libyan aid has exceeded 15 tons of medical supplies.

“Medical devices, hospital beds, generators, blankets and heaters were sent to the quake victims as part of the Libyan aid,” Yilmaz said.

Jibril Al Shteiwi, the director of the Libyan defence minister’s office, said an air bridge has been launched upon orders from Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh for the quake victims in Türkiye and Syria.

“Four planes loaded with aid have already been sent to Türkiye and Syria,” he said, adding that a fifth aid plane is also being prepared to be dispatched.

1820 GMT — UK unveils new aid package for Türkiye, Syria

“$30 million new overseas aid will fund additional emergency relief, such as tents and blankets for families made homeless in freezing conditions,” a UK government statement said.

The package will support the work of the UN and aid agencies on the ground in Syria, as well as the recovery effort in Türkiye led by the government, it said.

There will be a particular focus on protecting women and girls, including by helping with childbirth and midwifery, read the statement.

1745 GMT — Romanian philanthropist helping set up container city: Turkish envoy

This is part of the expansive efforts made in Romania for Turkish people affected by this tragedy, said Ozgur Kivanc Altan, Ankara’s ambassador to Bucharest.

Romania immediately sent a team of more than 110 people and four search and rescue dogs to Türkiye, he told reporters at an aid collection centre in Bucharest.

“Some 2,000 tents and 8,000 beds from RescEU were delivered to Türkiye on trains provided by Romania, as were approximately 5,000 tents and 15,000 sleepers given by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees,” the Turkish envoy said.

Altan said Romanian rescuers helped save many people trapped under collapsed buildings.

1700 GMT — Over 2,400 quake victims treated at Indian field hospital in Türkiye's Hatay

1646 GMT — UAE field hospital healing earthquake victims’ wounds in Türkiye

The hospital, which began operating four days after the twin earthquakes, employs 50 personnel with 15 doctors.

It has a 50-bed capacity with an operating room, emergency, intensive care, psychology, and family doctor sections.

"We are here to help our brothers and sisters who were affected by the devastating effect in the earthquake region. I offer my condolences to the families of the lost. We came here with a very large-capacity hospital that can help the earthquake victims medically. And we're going to help people," said Director Brig. Gen. Sarhan Al Neyadi.

“Doctors from Turkish hospitals also came here, we are working as a team in coordination with them. We continue to work as a single body. Our emergency also provides 24/7 service.”

1621 GMT — 'Your pain is our pain,' says Bosnian rescuer in quake-hit Türkiye

Rescuer Fahrudin Dobraca said his team pulled 10 people alive from the rubble of collapsed buildings in Hatay province and recovered 27 bodies.

Underlining that they did their best during the rescue operation in the region, Dobraca said: “Your pain is our pain, we share it, and I don't know what else to say.”

He said his team consists of 20 people and they got training on search and rescue operations in liaison with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) for six years in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

1617 GMT — Azerbaijan opens 1st field hospital for quake victims in Türkiye's Kahramanmaras

Azerbaijan established the first of two field hospitals in Türkiye’s Kahramanmaras region, the epicentre of the twin quakes.

“Our hospital has four departments. After admission and initial examination, the patient is sent to the relevant department,” Gurban Eyvazov, the head of the 10-bed facility, said.

The hospital has a laboratory, as well as a local anaesthesia and surgery department, he said.

“We will build another hospital. There will be separate departments for orthopaedics, paediatrics, and general surgery,” Eyvazov said.

“We will stand by our brother Türkiye until our duty is done. We are one nation. You have always helped us in difficult times. We are always ready to support you and we will always be,” he added.

1607 GMT — Romanian rescue team tried its 'best' to save people in Türkiye: Team leader

A Romanian rescue team arrived in Türkiye on the same day twin quakes struck the country and tried to do its "best" to save people, the leader of the team said.

Bogdan Vladutoiu, the leader of RO-USAR noted that his team was deployed to Hatay at the request of Turkish national civil protection authorities, Bogdan said they managed to save five people who had been trapped under the rubble.

Unfortunately, he said, his team also retrieved some people who were unable to survive.

1545 GMT — South Korean volleyball star's relief drive collects nearly $400,000 for Türkiye, Syria

Former Fenerbahce and Eczacibasi VitrA outside hitter Yeon Koung Kim, 34, said she raised 500 million won, or $388,266 in South Korea to support the victims of the devastating earthquakes.

More spectacular rescues are made on day ten after the catastrophic earthquakes that hit southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria.

More spectacular rescues are made on day ten after the catastrophic earthquakes that hit southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria. (AA)

1540 GMT — Elazig becomes 11th province affected by earthquakes: spokesperson

Elazig will be counted as a disaster area becoming the 11th province that has been affected by the earthquakes, AK Party spokesperson Omer Celik said. The decision has been taken on the directives of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he added.

1535 GMT — French field hospital opens in Türkiye's quake-hit Adiyaman

Set up in the Golbasi district, the facility has the capacity of treating 100 patients per day.

The hospital will remain operational for at least 15 days, according to Herve Magro, the French ambassador to Türkiye.

“We will stay for as long as Turkish authorities want,” he said.

The hospital has two operating rooms and a labour room with a staff of 15 doctors and 25 nurses, according to Isabella Arnaud, a surgeon.

1520 GMT — Bulgarian rescuers return with high praise for Turkish people, quake response

Turkish rescue teams and law enforcement personnel were very helpful and the logistical support given by local agencies was invaluable, said Behriye Bahri Tirmaz, who served as the translator in the 25-member team.

“Even those who had lost their homes brought us hot meals from field kitchens,” Tirmaz said, stressing that she would not think twice if asked to go back.

“I wouldn’t even hesitate to take the plane and go now,” she asserted.

Rosen Terziev, another member of the team, described the destruction caused by the twin quakes as “immeasurable.”

The team tried to its very best in coordination with the Turkish Disaster Management Agency (AFAD), he said.

1505 GMT — More survivors rescued alive after over 228 hours

A 13-year-old-boy Mustafa was rescued alive from under the rubble in Hatay, some 229 hours after the earthquakes.

A mother, named Ela, and her two children were also rescued in Hatay after 228 hours.

They were then taken to the nearest hospital.

1500 GMT —Costa Rica's foreign minister to visit Türkiye in wake of deadly quakes

Costa Rica's Foreign and Worship Minister Arnoldo Andre Tinoco will visit Türkiye on Feb. 16 - 18 to express solidarity in the wake of last week's deadly earthquakes in the southern region.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Tinoco will meet on Thursday in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where he will convey condolences.

1455 GMT — Rescuers defy odds, pull alive 42-year-old woman 9 days after Türkiye quakes

In a miraculous rescue, crews defied the odds and pulled alive a 42-year-old woman from the rubble of a collapsed building, 222 hours after the earthquakes.

Melike Imamoglu was saved in the Onikisubat district of Kahramanmaras province, the epicentre of the quakes.

She was referred to medical teams after the rescue operation.

1455 GMT — Very difficult to organise help after disaster as vast as Türkiye quakes, says French rescuer

“It is hard to know where to send the rescue teams,” Cyrille Chauveau, deputy leader of a French team deployed in Antakya, said.

“We must organise fast and focus on the rescue operations. We must race against time during such vast disasters.”

Sending immediate help to every spot in such a big disaster is “very difficult,” he emphasized.

Chauveau was part of a 73-member team that arrived in Türkiye on Feb. 7, going first to Osmaniye before moving to Hatay on Feb. 9.

“When we got here, it felt like a bombed city in a war zone,” he said.

“Turkish people have been very friendly toward us and showed their hospitality. Offering them our help has been an honour. We really felt their friendship,” he said, reaffirming France’s support for Türkiye and its people.

The team, however, regrets being unable to pull out anyone alive, he added.

The 35,418 reported deaths surpassed those recorded from the massive Erzincan earthquake in 1939 which killed around 33,000 people. (AA)

1450 GMT — Kosovo joined search, rescue after Türkiye quake as 'payback,' says rescue team

Kosovo joined in rescue efforts after last week's twin earthquakes in southern Türkiye as "payback" for Ankara's past help to Pristina, the Balkan nation's search and rescue agency said.

Ilir Gaxha, secretary of the Kosovo Search and Rescue Association, said at the airport in Hatay province before boarding a return flight back to his country with his group of six, after completing their mission "successfully" in the earthquake zone where they arrived on February 9.

While there, Gaxha said his team had assisted in a rescue and they saved the life of a 3-year-old girl by providing first aid.

On the rescue of the 3-year-old, Gaxha said the girl was extracted by another team and, assumed to be dead, was left on the sidewalk with the other corpses. Then, one of the Turkish soldiers opened the body bag to see the baby and he saw that the little girl had tears in her eyes, he said.

"We gave CPR for about 25 to 30 minutes until the Turkish ambulance came," he said. "And we were strong, doing this procedure all the time until we got her into the ambulance. And then we were very emotional about having that feeling."

1445 GMT — Couple rescued after 202 hours under rubble in southern Türkiye

A couple was pulled from the rubble in a miracle rescue after staying 202 hours under the rubble following the twin quakes in southern Türkiye last week.

Muharrem and his wife Hidayet Polat were rescued in Kahramanmaras province after rescue teams heard their voices from under the rubble.

The couple was transferred to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Muharrem, who is now under medical supervision, said that two of their children lost their lives under the rubble and that they tried hard to keep their 6-month-old baby alive.

1345 GMT — Saudi Arabia sends new aid planes to Türkiye, Syria

State news agency SPA said a plane loaded with 90 tons of foodstuffs, medical and shelter supplies headed to Gaziantep Airport in Türkiye.

The plane was the eighth to have been sent by Saudi Arabia to Türkiye since the earthquake disaster.

Earlier Wednesday, a Saudi plane carrying 35 tons of aid arrived at Aleppo Airport in Syria, the second such aid plane to the quake-hit Arab country.

1335 GMT — 74-year-old woman rescued alive from under rubble 227 hours after Türkiye quakes

A 74-year-old woman was rescued alive from under the rubble 227 hours after twin quakes hit Türkiye.

Cemile Kekec was rescued in Kahramanmaras province, the epicenter of the quakes.

Kekec was referred to the nearest hospital.

"We will quickly demolish what needs to be demolished and build safe buildings," Murat Kurum said. (AA)

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

1300 GMT — 'First time in my life': Russian rescue leader weighs in on scale of Türkiye quakes

Chupriyan Aleksandr, a senior Russian official who oversaw Moscow's search and rescue operations in the southern provinces of Kahramanmaras and Hatay, said that his country suffered a large earthquake on the Sakhalin Islands in the early 1990s but not on the scale of the two quakes that jolted Türkiye.

"But the scale like this, no ... this is the first time in my life," said Aleksandr, first deputy minister of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations.

He spoke at a closing ceremony of his unit of almost 200 personnel before they flew home.

1256 GMT — Saudi Arabia to establish 3,000 temporary houses for quake victims in Türkiye, Syria

Saudi Arabia “is studying the construction of 3,000 temporary houses in quake-hit areas in Türkiye and Syria,” Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, head of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, told Al Ekhbariya television.

He said the centre has already distributed thousands of tents to shelter the quake victims in the two countries.

"We will continue to help those affected by the earthquake disaster in Syria and Türkiye for weeks and perhaps months due to the great scale of the tragedy,” Al Rabeeah said.

1253 GMT — NATO chief to visit quake-hit Türkiye for solidarity

At a news conference following the two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers, alliance head Jens Stoltenberg said he will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

During the visit, Stoltenberg intends to express his solidarity, his condolences and continue the discussions with the Turkish interlocutors on how NATO can provide further “relief support and alleviate the suffering and the consequences of the terrible earthquake.”

He said he closed the defence ministers meeting by asking them to provide more strategic airlift, as well as to bring more tents and humanitarian aid.

1249 GMT — Iraq to dispatch fuel to Syria, Türkiye after earthquake disaster

Iraq will dispatch 60,000 tonnes of fuel oil to neighbouring Syria following last week’s deadly earthquakes.

The Iraqi government also said it will provide Türkiye with 30,000 tons of fuel oil in solidarity with Ankara.

In a statement, the Iraqi government said the aid shipment will be delivered to the Syrian side through Al Mikhtaf area in the Iraqi territorial waters.

People who lost their houses in the devastating earthquake, lineup to receive aid supplies at a makeshift camp, in Iskenderun city in southern Türkiye.

People who lost their houses in the devastating earthquake, lineup to receive aid supplies at a makeshift camp, in Iskenderun city in southern Türkiye. (AP)

1127 GMT — 77-year-old woman saved after 226 hours

Life-saving teams in the epicentre of twin earthquakes-hit Kahramanmaras have rescued a 77-year-old woman 226 hours later from the disaster area.

Search and rescue teams and bystanders chanted happily after Cemile Kekec was pulled out safely from the rubble, video circulation on social media showed.

1047 GMT — Turkish president receives Malaysia's premier after deadly quakes

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the capital Ankara for talks.

Erdogan and Ibrahim held a closed-door meeting at the presidential complex, according to the Turkish presidency.

The meeting came after two strong earthquakes jolted southeastern Türkiye on February 6.

0953 GMT — UAE sends 60 relief planes to Türkiye, Syria since earthquakes

“The United Arab Emirates continued, for the 9th consecutive day, to send relief aid to those affected by the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye,” the official WAM news agency said.

The agency stated that the planes "carried 1,375 tons of food and medical supplies and tents to shelter the affected people."

As part of the relief operation, the UAE has flown 30 cargo planes to Türkiye and 30 to Syria, bringing the total number of flights to 60 so far.

0940 GMT — Ukraine shares pain, tragedy of quake-hit Turkish people: Ukrainian rescue team chief

"Pain has no colour, race, or religion. We share the pain and tragedy of the Turkish people," said Konstantin Silayev, who heads a Ukrainian team of 77 rescuers and 10 search and rescue dogs in Hatay, one of the 10 provinces hit worst by the earthquakes.

Nothing that his team trained for could have prepared them for such a situation, Silayev said, adding: "Unfortunately we had to use our skills not only in exercises but also in real events."

"Very familiar frames. We saw collapsed buildings on the road and people stuck in the street," he said. "There is a similar picture in our country right now."

0924 GMT — Bangladeshi rescue team continues working in Türkiye’s