International
Death toll surpasses 11,000 after Turkey, Syria earthquake
GAZIANTEP, Turkey (AP) — With the hope of finding survivors fading, stretched rescue teams in Turkey and Syria searched Wednesday for signs of life in the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The confirmed death toll from the world’s deadliest quake in more than a decade passed 11,000.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan toured a “tent city” in hard-hit Kahramanmaras where people forced from their homes were living. Amid calls for his government to send more help to the disaster zone, Erdogan conceded initial shortfalls in the response to Monday’s 7.8 magnitude quake but vowed that no one would “be left in the streets.”
Search teams from more than two dozen countries have joined tens of thousands of local emergency personnel on the ground in Syria and Turkey, and aid pledges have poured in from around the world. But the scale of destruction from the earthquake and its powerful aftershocks was so immense and spread over such a wide area, including places isolated by Syria’s ongoing civil war, that many people were still waiting for help.
Experts said the survival window for those trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings or unable to access water, food, protection from the elements or medical attention was closing rapidly almost three days after the quake.
Rescuers at times used excavators in their searches and picked gingerly through debris at other points to locate survivors or the dead. With thousands of buildings toppled, it was not clear how many people might still be caught in the rubble.
Turkey’s disaster management agency said Wednesday that people who died in the earthquake but cannot be identified would be buried within five days even if they remained unnamed.
The agency, known as AFAD, said unidentified victims would be buried following DNA tests, finger printing and after being photographed for future identification.
The move is in line with Islamic funeral rites which require a burial to take place as quickly as possible after a person’s death.
In the Turkish city of Malatya, bodies were placed side by side on the ground, covered in blankets, while rescuers waited for funeral vehicles to pick them up, according to former journalist Ozel Pikal, who said he saw eight bodies pulled from the ruins of a building.
Pikal, who took part in the rescue efforts, said he thinks at least some of the victims froze to death as temperatures dipped to minus 6 degrees Celsius (21 Fahrenheit).
“As of today there is no hope left in Malatya,” Pikal said by telephone. “No one is coming out alive from the rubble.”
Road closures and damage in the region made it hard to access all the areas that need help, he said, and there was a shortage of rescuers where he was. Meanwhile, cold hampered the efforts of those who were there, including volunteers.
“Our hands cannot pick up anything because of the cold,” said Pikal. “Work machines are needed.”
The region was already beset by more than a decade of civil war in Syria that has displaced millions in that country and left them reliant on humanitarian aid and sent millions more to seek refuge in Turkey.
Turkey’s president said the country’s death toll passed 8,500. The Syrian Health Ministry, meanwhile, said the death toll in government-held areas has climbed past 1,200, while at least 1,400 people have died in the rebel-held northwest, according to volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets.
That brought the overall total to 11,000 since Monday’s earthquake and multiple strong aftershocks. Tens of thousands more are injured.
A 2011 earthquake near Japan that triggered a tsunami left nearly 20,000 people dead.
Syrian officials said the bodies of more than 100 Syrians who died during the earthquake in Turkey were brought back home for burial. Mazen Alloush, an official on the Syrian side of the border, said 20 more bodies were on their way, adding that all of them were Syrian refugees who fled civil war.
Stories of rescues continued to provide hope that some people still trapped might be found alive. A crying newborn still connected by the umbilical cord to her deceased mother was rescued in Syria on Monday. In Turkey’s Kahramanmaras, rescuers pulled a 3-year-old boy, Arif Kaan, from the rubble.
“For now, the name of hope in Kahramanmaras is Arif Kaan,” a Turkish television reporter proclaimed as the dramatic rescue was broadcast to the country.
Polish rescuers told TVN24 that low temperatures were working against them, though two firefighters said the fact that the predawn quake struck as many people were in bed under warm covers could help buy the search teams more time.
But David Alexander, a professor of emergency planning and management at University College London, said data from past earthquakes suggested the likelihood of survival was now slim, particularly for individuals who suffered serious injuries or significant blood loss.
“Statistically, today is the day when we’re going to stop finding people,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we should stop searching.”
Alexander cautioned that the final death toll may not be known for weeks because of the sheer amount of rubble that needs to be sifted.
The last time an earthquake killed so many people was 2015, when 8,800 died in a magnitude 7.8 quake in Nepal. A 2011 earthquake in Japan triggered a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people.
Cold weather added to the misery of residents who lost their homes. Many survivors in Turkey slept in cars, government shelters or outdoors.
“We don’t have a tent, we don’t have a heating stove, we don’t have anything. Our children are in bad shape. We are all getting wet under the rain and our kids are out in the cold,” Aysan Kurt, 27, said. “We did not die from hunger or the earthquake, but we will die freezing from the cold.”
Erdogan, on this tour of quake-hit areas, acknowledged that there were problems early on in the response but said it had improved.
He said the government would distribute 10,000 Turkish lira ($532) to affected families.
The quake comes at a sensitive time for Erdogan, who faces presidential and parliamentary elections in May amid an economic downturn and high inflation. Perceptions that his government mismanaged the crisis could severely hurt his standings.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, blamed the devastation on Erdogan’s two-decade rule, saying he had not prepared the country for a disaster and accusing him of misspending funds.
In Syria, aid efforts have been hampered by the ongoing war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border, which is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces. Syria itself is an international pariah under Western sanctions linked to the war.
The European Union said Wednesday that Syria had asked for humanitarian assistance to deal with the victims of the devastating earthquake. An EU representative insisted the bloc’s sanctions against the Syrian government had no impact on its potential to help.
On Wednesday, Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous visited neighborhoods in the northern city of Aleppo where buildings collapsed because of the earthquake.
“Our priority now is to rescue the people who are still under the rubble,” he said.
In rebel-held parts of northwest Syria, rescuers pulled a man, a woman and four children from the rubble in the towns of Salqeen, Harem and Jinderis, according to the White Helmets group.
The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.
The last time an earthquake killed so many people was 2015, when 8,800 died in a magnitude 7.8 quake in Nepal. A 2011 earthquake in Japan triggered a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people.
International
British Virgin Islands Elected to Leadership Role in Historic UN Decision
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) has been elected to a leadership role within the United Nations (UN) system, as a Vice Chair of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), solidifying its position as a key player in advancing the region’s economic and social development.
At the 40th session of UN ECLAC held in Lima, Peru, member states from across the Americas unanimously elected the BVI to the Vice Chairmanship, a position it will hold for the next two years. The BVI joins the leadership Bureau alongside Peru, which serves as Chair, and fellow Vice Chairs Colombia, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
Special Envoy Mr. Benito Wheatley accepted the role on behalf of the British Virgin Islands, pledging full support for ECLAC’s agenda and for Peru’s leadership. “I am humbled by the decision of the Governments represented in UN ECLAC to elect the British Virgin Islands to serve as a Vice Chair of this important regional intergovernmental body,” Wheatley said. “It demonstrates the trust and confidence by our neighbours across the Americas in the British Virgin Islands and our commitment to the sustainability, climate resilience, economic development, and social transformation of the region.”
The election coincided with the 40th anniversary of the BVI’s Associate Membership in ECLAC, making the occasion particularly significant. Wheatley noted that the BVI is honoured to represent both its own interests and to be a voice for the wider Caribbean in ECLAC’s senior leadership.
In addition to its new Vice Chair role within ECLAC, the BVI currently serves as a Vice Chair of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), ECLAC’s subsidiary body dedicated exclusively to the Caribbean subregion.
The 40th session of ECLAC focused on addressing critical development challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean. Delegates debated and endorsed an ECLAC report titled ‘Development Traps in Latin America and the Caribbean: Vital Transformations and How to Manage Them,’ which highlights key obstacles to growth, including low capacity for economic expansion, high inequality and weak social cohesion, and ineffective governance.
With its election to this influential leadership position, the British Virgin Islands will play an integral role in shaping the economic and social development strategies for Latin America and the Caribbean, driving initiatives that support sustainable growth and regional cooperation.
The British Virgin Islands first joined ECLAC as an Associate Member in 1984 and has actively participated in regional efforts to promote economic resilience and governance reforms.
International
Milton Strengthens Into Category 5 Hurricane, Taking Aim at Florida’s Gulf Coast
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm on Monday, threatening Florida’s Gulf Coast and putting the densely populated Tampa Bay region in the path of what could be a direct hit. Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene ravaged the same coastline, the area now faces a potentially catastrophic storm surge, heavy rainfall, and fierce winds.
Forecasters predict that Milton’s center could make landfall near Tampa on Wednesday, marking the first direct strike by a major hurricane in over a century. Although the storm may weaken slightly before landfall, it is expected to maintain hurricane strength as it travels across central Florida toward the Atlantic, largely sparing regions to the north that were devastated by Helene, which left at least 230 dead from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains.
“This is the real deal here with Milton,” warned Tampa Mayor Jane Castor during a press conference. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”
Governor Urges Swift Cleanup Ahead of Milton
As Florida prepares for Milton’s arrival, Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized the urgency of removing debris left behind by Hurricane Helene, fearing it could become deadly projectiles in the storm’s high winds.
“It’s imperative we clear this debris before Milton hits,” DeSantis said on Monday. Evacuation orders have already been issued, and forecasters warn of a potential 8- to 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay, with widespread flooding expected from 5 to 10 inches of rain across Florida and the Keys. Some areas could see up to 15 inches of rainfall, creating hazardous conditions for the 3.2 million residents in the Tampa metropolitan area.
Kerry Emanuel, a meteorology professor at MIT, highlighted the vulnerability of Tampa Bay, noting the region’s lack of experience with storms of this magnitude. “It’s a huge population. It’s very exposed, very inexperienced, and that’s a losing proposition,” Emanuel said.
Milton Gathers Strength in Gulf of Mexico
Milton, a compact yet powerful storm, intensified quickly over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph by Monday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was located about 700 miles southwest of Tampa, moving east-southeast at 9 mph.
Much of Florida’s west coast, including Lake Okeechobee, remains under hurricane and storm surge watches, with hurricane warnings issued for parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
The Tampa Bay region is still reeling from Hurricane Helene, which caused 12 deaths and left a trail of destruction along barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater. In an effort to clear the remnants of Helene before Milton arrives, more than 300 vehicles were mobilized on Sunday to collect debris. However, cleanup crews faced delays when they found a landfill locked, forcing state troopers to break open the gate with a rope tied to a pickup truck.
“We don’t have time for bureaucracy and red tape,” DeSantis said.
Residents Prepare for Impact
Residents along Florida’s west coast are bracing for Milton’s arrival. Lifeguards in Pinellas County, located on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay, have begun removing beach furniture and other items that could become dangerous in the storm’s winds. In many neighborhoods, appliances and furniture still await collection after being damaged by Helene’s storm surge.
Sarah Steslicki, a resident of Belleair Beach, voiced frustration over the delayed debris removal. “We’re facing another hurricane, and there’s still so much left to be picked up. It’s frustrating.”
As the state braces for Hurricane Milton, officials urge residents to heed evacuation orders and take necessary precautions to stay safe.
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