The death toll in Turkey and Syria from the massive earthquake that struck early Monday morning and its aftershocks rose above 16,000 Thursday as the hope of finding survivors dwindled due to the long amount of time and freezing temperatures. It is not known how many people still remain trapped beneath the rubble of the nearly 5,000 buildings said to have been destroyed in the temblors. Meanwhile, survivors of the earthquakes remain out in the elements, sleeping in the open, in cars and in tents, away from buildings that have not fallen, out of fear of aftershocks.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan on Wednesday visited Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of the earthquake, to personally see the destruction and observe the progress of the relief effort. Erdogan acknowledged that there have been issues ranging from impassable roads and difficulties for rescue teams and aid attempting to land at airports, but told reporters that “we are better today.”
Meanwhile, Twitter was shut down in Turkey, according to Netblocks, though Twitter CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet on Wednesday that Turkey had informed the company that access to Twitter in Turkey would be reestablished “shortly,” and by Thursday it appeared that the service had been reinstated.
Over 1,200 Syrians were reported dead in government parts of Syria and another nearly 2,000 in rebel-held northeastern Syria, though rescue efforts there are moving even slower than in Turkey and the death toll is expected to rise significantly.