Toll is expected to soar with some 264,000 apartments in Turkey destroyed
\n ANTAKYA\/KAHRAMANMARAS
\nMore than 45,000 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 in the country\u2019s worst modern disaster.
\nTwelve days after the quake hit, three people, including a child, were rescued alive from the rubble of a building in Antakya city of southern Turkey on Saturday, 296 hours after the earthquake, state news agency Anadolu said.
\nTelevision images showed them being carried to ambulances.
\nThe death toll in Turkey stands at 39,672, while neighbouring Syria has reported more than 5,800 deaths. Syria\u2019s toll has not changed for days.
\nWhile many international rescue teams have left the vast quake zone, domestic teams continued to search through flattened buildings on Saturday hoping to find more survivors who defied the odds. Experts say most rescues occur in the 24 hours following an earthquake.
\nHakan Yasinoglu, in his 40s, was rescued in the southern province of Hatay, 278 hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the dead of night on February 6, the Istanbul Fire Brigade said.
\nEarlier, Osman Halebiye, 14, and Mustafa Avci, 34, were saved in Turkey\u2019s historic city of Antakya, known in ancient times as Antioch. As Avci was carried away, he was put on a video call with his parents, who showed him his newborn baby.
\n\u201cI had completely lost all hope. This is a true miracle. They gave me my son back. I saw the wreckage and I thought nobody could be saved alive from there,\u201d his father said.
\nAid organisations say the survivors will need help for months to come with so much crucial infrastructure destroyed.
\nIn neighbouring Syria, already shattered by more than a decade of civil war, the bulk of fatalities have been in the northwest, an area controlled by insurgents who are at war with President Bashar al-Assad \u2014 a conflict that has complicated efforts to aid people affected by the earthquake.
\nThousands of Syrians who had sought refuge in Turkey from their country\u2019s civil war have returned to their homes in the war zone \u2014 Toll is expected to soar with some 264,000 apartments in Turkey destroyed at least for now.
\nAnger grows
\nNeither Turkey nor Syria have said how many people are still missing following the quake.
\nFor families still waiting to retrieve relatives in Turkey, there is growing anger over what they see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development that resulted in thousands of homes and businesses disintegrating.
\nOne such building was the Ronesans Rezidans (Renaissance Residence), which keeled over in Antakya, killing hundreds.
\n\u201cIt was said to be earthquake-safe, but you can see the result,\u201d said Hamza Alpaslan, 47, whose brother had lived in the apartment block. \u201cIt\u2019s in horrible condition. There is neither cement nor proper iron in it. It\u2019s a real hell.\u201d
\nTurkey has promised to investigate anyone suspected of responsibility for the collapse of buildings and has ordered the detention of more than 100 suspects, including developers.
\nThe United Nations on Thursday appealed for more than $1 billion in funds for the Turkish relief operation, and has launched a $400 million appeal for Syrians.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Toll is expected to soar with some 264,000 apartments in Turkey destroyed ANTAKYA\/KAHRAMANMARAS More than 45,000 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 in the country\u2019s worst modern disaster. Twelve days after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":314584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-314572","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n