Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquakes surpasses 16,000

ADIYAMAN, TURKIYE - FEBRUARY 09: Personnel conduct search and rescue operations in Adiyaman following 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit Kahramanmaras on Feb. 06, in Turkiye on February 09, 2023. Early Monday morning, a strong 7.7 earthquake, centered in the Pazarcik district, jolted Kahramanmaras and strongly shook several provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis. Later, at 13.24 p.m. (1024GMT), a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras' Elbistan district struck the region. Turkiye declared 7 days of national mourning on Feb. 06 after deadly earthquakes in southern provinces. (Photo by Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday is now at least 16,035, according to authorities.

In Syria, the total number of fatalities is at least 3,162, including 1,900 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the “White Helmets” civil defense group. Some 1,262 deaths have been recorded in government-controlled parts of the country, according to Syrian state media.

In Turkey, the toll has risen to at least 12,873, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said on Thursday.

Aid agencies have warned the toll is likely to rise significantly higher, especially in Syria, as search and rescue teams sift through the rubble of thousands of collapsed buildings amid freezing weather conditions, faced with the risk of aftershocks.

Tens of thousands of people have been reported injured across the region, according to officials.

This post has been updated with the latest figures.