Monitor News Desk
The death toll in the three earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria is nearing 8000.
The death toll from the devastating earthquakes has already passed 7,800 as of Tuesday evening. In Turkey, officials said that 5,894 died and more than 32,000 were injured. In Syria, the death toll rose to 1,932.
A report by the BBC said that in southern Turkey rescue efforts were far from over and bodies of those killed in the earthquake were being left out on the streets as teams searched for survivors. A state of emergency has been declared for the next three months for the 10 provinces affected by the earthquake.
The magnitude 7.8 quake rippled through both countries early on Monday, toppling entire apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals, and leaving thousands more people injured or homeless.
As rescue operations continued, freezing winter weather hampered search efforts for survivors through the night. Temperatures fell close to freezing overnight, worsening conditions for people trapped under rubble or left homeless.
