Turkey mourning earthquake victims

International rescue missions have rushed to Turkey and Syria after one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the region in at least a century left more than 5,000 people dead, 20,000 injured and an unknown number trapped in the rubble. 

The death toll from an earthquake in southeastern Turkey has climbed to more than 3,400, and more than 20,500 people have been injured, the country’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday in televised remarks.

"As of now, the death toll across the country’s 10 provinces is 3,419. Injuries were sustained by 20,534 people. The number of toppled buildings is 5,775," he said.

The rescue operations after one of the deadliest earthquakes in modern Turkish history continue at full pace, with dozens of thousands of medical and disaster coordination teams dispatched in the southeastern provinces of Hatay, Şanlıurfa, Kahramanmaraş, Adiyaman and Malatya.

Three-year-old girl and 26-year-old man, who were stuck under the rubble of a five-story apartment building in Malatya, were rescued from the rubble 22 hours later by the firefighters.

Rescuers from other countries, including Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Israel, are helping with the search and rescue operation in affected areas. Turkish Airlines has carried over 11,000 volunteers to southern Türkiye after the region was hit by powerful earthquakes.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the mourning period would last for seven days, and the Turkish flag would be flown at half-mast until sunset on February 12.

At least 1,602 people were killed and 3,000 injured in Syria following a number of deadly earthquakes and aftershocks.