International Desk: Over 28,000 people have died as a result of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.The total number of dead in the two countries is 28,192. The death toll in Turkey alone has risen to 24,617. In Syria, there have been 3,055 deaths.
Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused far more damage than the 1999 earthquake that killed more than 17,000 people in Turkey. Thousands of buildings collapsed in both countries. Rescuers are trying hard to recover the bodies of those trapped under the rubble. News from CNN and the BBC
Meanwhile, the law and order situation has deteriorated significantly in the earthquake-affected areas. Widespread violence has spread. German rescue workers and Austrian troops have suspended their operations due to violence between unidentified groups.
Dozens of personnel from the “Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit” have taken refuge in a base camp with other international agencies as clashes between unidentified groups have occurred in Hatay province, an Austrian army spokesman said. They called off rescue operations.
An Austrian army spokesman, Lt. Colonel Pierre Kugelwise, said in a statement that “violence between different tribes and sub-tribes is increasing gradually in the earthquake-affected areas.” In this situation, there is no opportunity to continue the rescue operation by endangering our lives.
