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Latest on quakes that hit beleaguered region
- The death toll from Monday's devastating earthquakes has soared past 16,000 and is expected to rise.
- The temblor has become the deadliest since Japan’s 9.0-magnitude quake in 2011 sparked a triple catastrophe that left more than an estimated 20,000 people dead.
- At least three U.S. citizens were among the thousands of people killed in Turkey, according to a State Department spokesperson.
- Desperate efforts to rescue survivors continue in Turkey and Syria as frigid conditions hamper progress in some areas.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has acknowledged problems with the relief effort after visiting the affected areas Wednesday.
- A civil war and shattered roads slow aid to quake-hit Syria.
U.S. search and rescue teams arrive in Turkey to help earthquake relief
Death toll passes 16,000
The number of people confirmed dead from the quakes has now passed 16,000.
12,873 people have died in Turkey, according to the country's disaster management authority. In Syria's government-controlled areas the toll has reached 1,262, according to the health ministry, with another 1,900 killed in rebel-held territory, according to the White Helmets.
That takes the total to 16,035, with thousands more injured and the toll expected to rise.
Twitter access is restored in Turkey after talks
Access to Twitter has been restored in Turkey, the internet observatory Netblocks said Thursday, after talks between the company and Turkish authorities.
Access to the social media platform had been restricted on Wednesday, setting off protests by opposition politicians, academics and activists who emphasized its importance as a source of information on earthquake damage, aid distribution and the well-being of individuals.
Omer Fatih Sayan, Turkey’s deputy transportation and infrastructure minister, said officials had told Twitter executives that they expected the platform to cooperate in fighting disinformation and respecting the privacy of victims.
“We must be very sensitive at this time,” he said in a Twitter post.
Earlier Wednesday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said the company had been informed by the Turkish government that full access would be re-enabled “shortly.”
Death toll grows to nearly 16,000
As crews continue to search the rubble for survivors of the catastrophic earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, the death toll climbs.
Almost 16,000 people had been confirmed dead in the region by Thursday morning.
In Syria, 2,992 deaths have been reported, and Turkish officials said the toll in that nation is 12,873. Overall, 15,867 lives have been lost in the disaster that injured thousands more.
Elon Musk says Turkey to re-enable full Twitter access ‘shortly’
Twitter CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet on Wednesday that the company had been informed by the government of Turkey that full access to the social media platform in the country will be re-enabled “shortly”.
The Netblocks internet observatory, which tracks connectivity across the globe, said earlier on Wednesday that Twitter access had been restricted two days after a major earthquake killed thousands in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
“Twitter has been informed by the Turkish government that access will be re-enabled shortly,” Musk tweeted, without providing further details on timing.
Netblocks reported earlier that, “Real-time network data show Twitter has been restricted in Turkey; the filtering is applied on major internet providers and comes as the public come to rely on the service in the aftermath of a series of deadly earthquakes.”
Turkey’s Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Turkish people have taken to Twitter since the earthquake to post information about loved ones they cannot reach, reports of collapsed buildings in the area and coordination for aid.
Death toll surpasses 15,380
By Thursday morning, the death toll from this week's catastrophic earthquakes had surpassed 15,350 people.
Overall, 15,383 have been confirmed dead — including 12,391 people in Turkey, 2,992 people in Syria — according to officials in those countries and the White Helmets aid group.
More than 20,000 others were injured in the earthquakes, which are the deadliest worldwide in more than a decade.
Maxar satellite images appear to show collapsed apartment high-rises and other damage
New satellite images released Wednesday appeared to capture the damage in the far southern Turkish city of Antakya, including collapsed high-rise buildings.
“Extensive building damage can be seen throughout the area,” Maxar Technologies said.
The before-and-after photos — the earlier images were from December — appear to show the devastation in the city, which is close to the Syrian border. Damage is also seen downtown in Kahramanmaras, which is north of Gaziantep.
At least 3 U.S. citizens killed in Turkey earthquakes, State Department says
At least three U.S. citizens died in the earthquakes that struck Turkey and killed more than 12,000 people in that country and in Syria, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the victims and to the families of all of those affected,” the spokesperson said.
More information about the U.S. citizens was not immediately released. The State Department spokesperson cited privacy concerns. The three U.S. citizens died in Turkey, the spokesperson said.
The official said staff in Turkey and the U.S. "are working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to these victims and their family members."
