By John Ikani
Tragedy struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, when a massive earthquake hit both countries.
As the days went by, the death toll continued to rise and has now surpassed a staggering 40,000 with hopes of finding survivors becoming dimmer by the day.
According to officials and medics, the number of casualties in Turkey alone has reached 38,044, while 3,688 people lost their lives in Syria.
The confirmed total death toll stands at 41,732.
Despite the dire circumstances, there were glimmers of hope when Turkish rescuers managed to save a 17-year-old girl and a woman in her 20s from the rubble, after almost 11 days since the 7.8-magnitude quake hit.
However, rescue operations have been halted in some regions in Turkey, and the Syrian government, which is dealing with a war-torn country, has suspended rescue efforts in areas under its control.
The earthquake is now the deadliest natural disaster in Turkey’s post-Ottoman history, leaving the country devastated by the sheer scale of the destruction.
