Connect with us

Regional

Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll rises to 35,000, but more survivors rescued

Published

on

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria last week crossed 35,000 on Monday as rescue workers continued to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings.

According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD,) the death toll from last week’s earthquake in the country stood at 31,643 on Monday morning.

In an update shared on Sunday, the Syrian government said 1,414 people have died in areas under the control of the Assad regime, while the rebel group White Helmets noted that the toll in the region under their control stood at 2,166.

On Monday, rescuers were able to rescue a 40-year-old woman from under a collapsed building in the Gaziantep province, just hours after a 62-year-old woman and a child were rescued in Hatay province.

Hailed as “miracle rescues” by the Turkish media, such incidents are becoming rarer and rarer as more people likely succumb to cold temperatures and lack water and food.

As rescue work continues in Turkey, adequate relief has failed to reach civil-war-hit Syria, especially in the rebel-held north-west region, raising fears that the actual death toll may be significantly higher than what has been recorded so far.

U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths visited the Turkish-Syrian border on Sunday and tweeted that international help hasn’t arrived in north-west Syria and people in the region “rightly feel abandoned.”

Griffiths on Sunday said he expects the final toll will be “double or more” than the 28,000 that had been reported at the time. This means the final number could be near 60,000. This is nearly three times the estimate made by the WHO last week.

The earthquake is already the world’s deadliest natural disaster since the 2010 Haiti Earthquake which killed more than 100,000 people.

Last Monday, Turkey and Syria were hit by a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake followed by over 2,000 aftershocks, including a 7.7 magnitude, between Monday last week and Sunday.

The quake’s epicenter was located just 20 miles from the major Turkish city of Gaziantep, according to the United States Geological Survey. As of Sunday, nearly 25,000 buildings had collapsed due to the earthquake.

Regional

UAE President arrives in Pakistan on first official visit

Published

on

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Islamabad on Friday on his first official visit to Pakistan, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Geo News reported.

He was received by Prime Minister Sharif and senior officials, with his aircraft escorted by Pakistan Air Force jets upon entering Pakistani airspace. The UAE president is accompanied by a high-level delegation.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the visit aims to review bilateral relations and discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Continue Reading

Regional

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un signals continued missile development over next five years

Published

on

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has signaled that the country will continue developing missiles over the next five years, following visits to major munitions enterprises in the last quarter of 2025, state media KCNA reported on Friday.

Kim said the country’s missile and shell production sector is “of paramount importance in bolstering war deterrence,” according to KCNA.

The report said Kim ratified draft documents on the modernization of key munitions enterprises, which will be submitted to a major ruling party congress expected to be held in early 2026. The congress is set to outline North Korea’s development plan for the next five years.

KCNA’s report follows Thursday’s disclosure that Kim oversaw the construction of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine alongside his daughter, widely seen as a potential successor, as well as the test-firing of long-range surface-to-air missiles.

Continue Reading

Regional

Turkey detains 115 suspected Daesh members believed planning attacks

Published

on

Turkish authorities have detained 115 suspected Daesh members they said were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country, the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.

Istanbul Police obtained information that Daesh members had planned attacks in Turkey, against non-Muslims in particular, during Christmas and New Year celebrations, the prosecutor’s office posted on X, Reuters reported.

The police raided 124 places in Istanbul, capturing 115 of the 137 suspects they were seeking, the statement said. Several pistols and ammunition were seized, it said.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2025 Ariana News. All rights reserved!