Earthquake death toll rises to nearly 4,900 in Turkey and Syria

At least 4,890 deaths have now been confirmed in Turkey and Syria after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked the region early on Monday.

Turkey’s death toll rose to at least 3,381 as of around 9:45 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Orhan Tatar, an official with the country’s disaster management agency, said in a televised briefing.

At least 20,426 injuries have also been reported, according to Tatar.

So far, 11,000 buildings have been reported damaged in Turkey, he said. Nearly 25,000 emergency responders are working at scenes impacted, he added.

Rescuers are using at least 10 ships and 54 aircraft to transport the wounded and help with search operations, he said.

In Syria, the death toll has risen to 1,509 across areas controlled by the government and by the opposition, officials said.

At least 3,548 people have also been reported injured in Syria, according to officials. AP