Survivors of Turkey, Syria Quake Struggle to Stay Warm, Fed as Death Toll Passes 19,300

Mehmet Nasir Duran, 67, sits on a chair, as heavy machines remove debris from a building, where five of his family members are trapped in Nurdagi, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023.Thousands who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires and clamored for food and water in the bitter cold, three days after the temblor and series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria. AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris

ANTAKYA, Turkey—Thousands who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires and clamored for food and water in the bitter cold, three days after the temblor and a series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than 19,300.

Emergency crews used pick axes, shovels, and jackhammers to dig through twisted metal and concrete—and occasionally still pulled survivors out. But in some places, they switched the focus to demolishing unsteady buildings.