Earthquake Death Toll Passes 46,000; Desperation for Signs of Life

Earthquake Death Toll Passes 46,000; Desperation for Signs of Life
An excavator works next to a damaged building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on Feb. 17, 2023. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
Reuters
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ANTAKYA/KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey—More than 46,000 people have been killed in the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria and the toll is expected to soar, with some 264,000 apartments in Turkey destroyed and many still missing as rescuers listen for signs of life under the rubble.

As Turkey tries to manage its worst modern disaster, concerns were growing over the victims of the tragedy in Syria, with the World Food Programme (WFP) pressuring authorities in the northwest to stop blocking access to the area as it seeks to help hundreds of thousands of people ravaged by earthquakes.