According to authorities, the death toll from the enormous earthquake that slammed Turkey and Syria on Monday surpassed 15,000 by Wednesday as rescuers scrambled to save lives buried under debris in frigid weather.
Officials and medical personnel reported 12,391 deaths in Turkey and 2,992 deaths in Syria due to Monday's 7.8 magnitude earthquake, bringing the confirmed death toll to 15,383. Additional tens of thousands were hurt.
In Turkey and Syria, rescue crews have been searching for signs of life among the unimaginable number of victims believed to be buried beneath the wreckage. Teams from over two dozen nations, including Israel, have joined tens of thousands of local emergency professionals in this endeavour. But the harm caused by the earthquake and its accompanying aftershocks was so extensive and widespread that many people were still waiting for assistance.
According to experts, the window of opportunity for survival for individuals trapped under the rubble or unable to get essential supplies was swiftly closing. In addition, they stated that it was premature to relinquish hope.
"The first 72 hours are critical," said Steven Godby, an expert on natural disasters at Nottingham Trent University in England. "The average survival rate is 74% within 24 hours, 22% after 72 hours, and 6% on the fifth day."
Sometimes, rescuers utilized excavators or carefully combed through the wreckage. It was unclear how many individuals may still be trapped.
Continuing accounts of rescues inspired optimism that some individuals still entombed might be located alive. On Monday, a newborn baby was saved in Syria while still attached to her dying mother by the umbilical cord. Rescuers extracted a three-year-old boy from the rubble in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, while Israeli military personnel rescued at least four individuals, including a two-year-old boy.
However, David Alexander, a professor of emergency planning and management at University College London, stated that statistics from previous earthquakes indicated that the likelihood of survival, particularly for severely injured patients, was now low.
On Wednesday, he stated, "Today is the day that we will no longer be able to find people based on statistics." That does not mean we should cease our search.
Alexander emphasized that the exact death toll might not be determined for weeks due to the sheer volume of debris.
The death toll surpassed a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, when 8,800 people perished. A tsunami caused by a 2011 earthquake in Japan killed approximately 20,000 people.
Many who survived this week's earthquake lost their homes and were forced to sleep in their cars, in government shelters, or outside in the rain and snow.
"We have no tent, cooking stove, or other supplies. Our children are in poor health, said Aysan Kurt, age 27. We did not perish from starvation or the earthquake but will die from hypothermia.
Temperatures in the quake-ravaged Turkish city of Gaziantep dropped to minus five degrees Celsius on Thursday morning. Still, thousands of families spent the night in cars and temporary tents because they were too afraid to return home or were forbidden from doing so.
Parents carried their children in blankets through the city streets because it was warmer than sitting in a tent.
Melek Halici wrapped her two-year-old daughter in a blanket as they watched rescuers labour late into the night. "When we sit down, it is painful, and I fear for anyone trapped under the rubble in this," Halici said.
She said, "Eventually, we will have to go to the tent, but I don't want to." "I cannot tolerate the cold nor consider returning to our apartment."
The city has prohibited tens of thousands of inhabitants from returning to residential complexes deemed unsafe due to daily earthquakes.
Around the Halicis, the night was filled with the smoke of dozens of fires. Families were given pallets to burn by supermarkets and other businesses.
Some individuals have found refuge with their neighbours or family. Some individuals have departed the region. However, many have nowhere to go.
Some gyms, mosques, schools, and supermarkets are now open at night. However, mattresses are still scarce, and thousands sleep in their cars with engines running to give heat.
Suleyman Yanik said, "I have no choice", as he sat in his car with one child playing with the steering wheel and his wife and another child sleeping in the back seat.
"The odour is awful, but we cannot return home," he remarked.
Since Monday's earthquake, restaurant manager Burhan Cagdas has been sleeping in his car due to his family's "psychological" reluctance to return home.
He was uncertain as to how long they could last.
Numerous families have criticized the government's handling of the earthquake relief effort.
During a Wednesday visit to the region, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged that there had been "failures" but stressed that the magnitude of the calamity was beyond the control of any government.
Since the sixth century in Gaziantep, low-income families camping near the quake-damaged castle claim that authorities have done nothing for them.
The families have constructed improvised dwellings from discarded tarps and wood. "They could have at least given us tents," remarked Ahmet Hussayin.
"Our children are freezing," said the 40-year-old father of five, whose home was wrecked by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. "We were forced to burn park benches and even children's clothing. He stated, "There was nothing else."
Some shelters were not equipped with tarps to cover the entrances.
Emel Osman, a 14-year-old whose family fled Syria for Turkey seven years ago, stated that "at least for the children", a tent should have been erected.
Stones from the castle have the potential to fall into the park where the families have sought refuge. However, they claim they have no choice because they lack a vehicle and an alternate place to stay.
