Turkey-Syria earthquake live updates: Death toll reaches 36,000

February 13, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — More than 36,000 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb. 6, according to officials.

The pre-dawn quake was centered in the town of Pazarcik in Turkey’s southeastern Kahramanmaras province and was followed by several powerful aftershocks. Thousands of buildings were toppled on both sides of the border, and the death toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched for survivors in the massive piles of rubble.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Feb 13, 6:38 AM EST
More than 100 arrest warrants issued in Turkey over collapsed buildings

Turkish authorities have issued at least 113 arrest warrants as of Monday in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed in southeastern Turkey last week during the massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks.

The warrants are targeting contractors who are allegedly linked to the collapsed buildings.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Feb 13, 6:30 AM EST
Death toll reaches 36,000 in Turkey, Syria

Last week’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 31,643 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

Meanwhile, at least 4,581 people were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Feb 12, 2:09 PM EST
Death toll surpasses 33,000 in Turkey, Syria

More than 33,000 people are dead in Turkey and Syria as a result of last week’s earthquake and aftershocks, officials said.

At least 29,605 people had died in Turkey, officials announced Sunday. More than 3,500 have died in Syria, local officials said late Sunday.

Another 80,000 people have been injured, officials said.

-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres

Feb 11, 9:36 AM EST
Death toll rises to over 25,000 in Turkey, Syria

Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed more than 25,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

“In addition to the already collapsed buildings, the other ones whose number can be expressed in hundreds of thousands have also become uninhabitable due to their damages. So far, the total loss of life in the earthquake area has reached 21,043 and the number of injured rose to 80,097,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said.

121 citizens were pulled alive from the rubble over the past 24 hours, according to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.

In Syria, the death toll has risen to over 3,500.

-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres

Feb 10, 12:45 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 22,000 in Turkey, Syria

Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have claimed at least 22,895 lives.

In Turkey, at least 19,388 people were killed and more than 77,000 others were injured, according to officials.

Meanwhile, at least 3,507 people were killed and 7,115 others were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

Feb 09, 5:57 PM EST
121 Turkish citizens rescued in past 24 hours, official says

As the desperate search for survivors continues, 121 Turkish citizens have been pulled from the rubble alive in the past 24 hours, Vice President Fuat Oktay said Thursday.

The search and rescue operations in Kilis and Şanlıurfa provinces have been completed, and they are almost complete in Adana, Osmaniye and Diyarbakır provinces, Oktay said.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 09, 4:54 PM EST
More than 21,000 killed

More than 21,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria since a massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks rocked the region on Monday, according to officials. At least 17,674 were killed in Turkey while another 3,377 lives were lost in Syria.

The Associated Press reported that the rising death toll is now higher than the number of people who died as a result of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region, which caused the nuclear accident in Fukushima.

Feb 09, 3:55 PM EST
USAID announces $85 million for earthquake relief

The United States Agency for International Development is providing $85 million in “urgent humanitarian assistance” that will go toward shelter, “food, medicine and other desperately needed aid to those in need” in Turkey and Syria, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced Thursday on Twitter.

This comes as American responders are “leading the search for survivors” in Adiyaman, Turkey, said USAID spokesperson Jessica Jennings.

“Using sensitive cameras, listening devices, and search-and-rescue dogs, the team is able to target their search for survivors more accurately,” she said.

In Syria, Jennings said access to some of the hardest-hit areas remains “extremely challenging” due to damage to infrastructure, the security situation and weather concerns. However, she said that as of Thursday, one USAID partner was able to move six truckloads of supplies into the country.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Feb 09, 1:46 PM EST
Syria in need of more help: ‘It’s like a drop in the ocean’

Members of the International Medical Corps dispatched to impacted areas of Syria have “started crying on the phone when I asked them what it was like,” Wafaa Sadek, country director for International Medical Corps in Syria, told ABC News.

“People everywhere on the streets. The weather is absolutely freezing. They don’t have anywhere to go. The children are screaming. Adults screaming,” Sadek said. “The situation is very, very bad.”

Sadek said her team told her of a little girl in Aleppo who was shouting, “Please, somebody get me out! I will serve you for the rest of my life, just get me out of here, please.”

Sadek said she wants to see more international help for Syria. She’s calling for sanctions to be lifted so more aid can get through.

“This is a humanitarian crisis,” Sadek said. “We should put our differences aside.”

Sadek stressed, “Syria is very much in need. The help which has come from all the over the world is much appreciated, but we really need a lot more. It’s like a drop in the ocean.”

-ABC News’ Zoe Magee

Feb 09, 12:21 PM EST
More than 20,000 killed

More than 20,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria since a massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks rocked the region on Monday, according to officials. At least 16,710 were killed in Turkey while another 3,317 lives were lost in Syria.

Feb 09, 5:49 AM EST
Death toll exceeds 17,000 in Turkey, Syria

Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 14,014 people and injured more than 63,000 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Meanwhile, at least 3,162 were killed and over 5,600 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

Feb 08, 10:32 PM EST
CAIR-NY says former board member and his family were killed in earthquake

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New York chapter tweeted Wednesday that a former board member, Burak Firik, along with his wife and two children were killed in Turkey during the earthquake.

A CAIR-NY representative told ABC News that the family, from Queens, was in Turkey to take care of Firik’s father, who was having health issues.

Feb 08, 8:20 PM EST
Death toll surpasses 15,000

Turkey Emergency Management (AFAD) is reporting 12,391 deaths from the earthquake in Turkey, while the Syrian Health Ministry and White Helmets say 2,962 people are dead in Syria.

According to Turkey Emergency Management, there have been 62,914 people injured in Turkey.

-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman

Feb 08, 5:21 PM EST
3 Americans killed in Turkey by earthquake: State Department

Three U.S. citizens have been identified as among the more than 12,000 victims of the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria this week, the State Department confirmed Wednesday.

“We can confirm reports of at least three U.S. citizens killed in southeastern Türkiye,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Our staff in Türkiye and here in the United States are working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to these victims and their family members.”

The State Department is working closely with local authorities and other partner organizations to assist U.S. citizens in affected areas, the spokesperson added.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Feb 08, 2:57 PM EST
Death toll tops 12,000 in Turkey, Syria

The death toll in Monday’s earthquake is now up to 12,019, according to authorities in Turkey and Syria.

The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 9,057 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the Turkey Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

Meanwhile, at least 2,962 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Will Gretsky

Feb 08, 2:41 PM EST
Biden offers ‘deepest condolences’ to Turkey, Syria

President Joe Biden offered his thoughts and prayers on behalf of Americans following the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria during an event in Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s one of the worst earthquakes in that region in over 100 years and we mourn the loss of so many lives and we offer our deepest condolences,” he said.

Biden also commented on the “amazing” rescue efforts underway.

“You see dads or moms pulling little babies out from underneath this rubble,” he said. “So many people dying. And our thoughts are also with the survivors who’ve been torn apart by this tragedy.”

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Feb 08, 12:50 PM EST
Turkey stock exchange suspended

Istanbul’s stock exchange operator suspended trading for five days in an unprecedented step and announced that all trades that took place on Wednesday would be canceled in the wake of the earthquake.

“Due to the increase in volatility and extraordinary price movements after the earthquake disaster; in order to ensure the reliable, transparent, efficient, stable, fair and competitive functioning of the markets, Equity Market and Equity & Index Derivatives in the Derivatives Market have been closed,” Borsa Istanbul, the stock exchange operator, said in a statement on Wednesday.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 08, 10:46 AM EST
Death toll tops 11,500 in Turkey, Syria

The death toll in Monday’s earthquake is now up to 11,577, according to authorities in Turkey and Syria.

Meanwhile, at least 2,520 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Feb 08, 9:16 AM EST
Over 600 aftershocks since Monday’s quake

Since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey before dawn on Monday, there have been a total of at least 648 aftershocks in the region.

Feb 08, 6:17 AM EST
Death toll tops 11,000 in Turkey, Syria

Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 8,574 people and injured 40,910 others in southeastern Turkey, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Meanwhile, at least 2,520 were killed and 4,654 were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

Feb 07, 10:42 PM EST
CENTCOM prepares to support quake relief efforts

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that it is prepared to support the earthquake relief efforts.

CENTCOM said it’s working with U.S. European Command to work through options to send support to the hard-hit country.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Feb 07, 10:31 PM EST
70 countries, 14 international organizations offer aid to Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that approximately 70 countries and 14 international organizations have offered aid to Turkey.

The United Nations announced a $25 million grant from the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund to help “provide urgent life-saving assistance in the region,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general of the United Nations, said Tuesday.

The U.S. is sending two American urban search and rescue teams with 170,000 pounds of specialized tools and equipment to impacted regions in Turkey.

According to the E.U., 19 member countries, including Croatia, Estonia, France, Spain and Greece, have offered support to Turkey.

Greece sent a team of 21 rescuers, two rescue dogs and a special rescue vehicle, along with a structural engineer, five doctors and seismic planning experts in a military transport plane to Turkey, according to The Associated Press.

Israel sent the IDF Medical and a delegation from the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Health to southern Turkey on Wednesday to create a “field hospital” and provide additional support.

According to the Russian news service Interfax, Russia sent rescue teams from the Emergency Ministry to help with cleanup efforts in Syria on Tuesday.

China will provide $6 million in aid to Turkey, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The country will also deploy “heavy urban rescue teams and medical teams” to provide “relief materials urgently needed” by the Turkish.

Mexico sent rescue teams to Turkey to assist with humanitarian recovery efforts from the earthquake, including 16 of their search and rescue dogs.

-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, Jordana Miller, Shannon Crawford, Christine Theodorou, Natalia Shumskaia, Anastasia Bagaeva and Emma Ogao

Feb 07, 4:17 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 7,700 in Turkey, Syria

The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 7,766 according to officials.

The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 5,894 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

Meanwhile, at least 1,872 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 07, 3:45 PM EST
Baby born in earthquake rubble in Syria

A baby girl has been rescued after she was born amid the earthquake rubble in Jindires, Syria, according to The Associated Press.

None of her family survived, according to the AP.

Feb 07, 3:43 PM EST
4-year-old girl pulled from rubble

A 4 year-old girl has been pulled from the rubble of a destroyed building, 42 hours after the devastating earthquake struck.

The little girl, named Beyza, is in good health, the Antalya Municipality Search and Rescue Team told ABC News.

Her parents remain trapped in the building.

-ABC News’ Marcus Moore

Feb 07, 3:09 PM EST
American search and rescue teams to start work Wednesday

Stephen Allen, USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team leader for the agency’s earthquake response, said his top priority is getting two American urban search and rescue teams to the region.

“Every hour does count in the first few days,” he said.

The responders are en route to Turkey, where they are expected to land at Incirlik Air Base in Adana Wednesday morning local time, Allen said. They’ll immediately start the long journey to Adıyaman, a city in southeastern Turkey that’s been heavily impacted by the quake, but has not had access to many search and rescue teams, Allen said.

The Americans are bringing about 170,000 pounds of specialized tools and equipment, including hydraulic concrete breaking gear, saws, torches, drills and advanced medical supplies to treat and triage the wounded, he said. They will also have about a dozen dogs who Allen said will play a “very key” role in looking for survivors strapped in the rubble.

Sending search and rescue teams to a disaster site so far away is “not something that we would normally do, frankly,” he said, however Turkey officials asked for assistance because its own considerable national search and rescue capabilities are outmatched by the “size and scale” of the devastation.

“I do need to emphasize the level of devastation, the level of damage, and the expected result in loss of life is massive. It’s massive,” he said.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Feb 07, 2:37 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 7,000 in Turkey, Syria

The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 7,266, according to officials.

The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 5,434 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

Meanwhile, at least 1,832 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 07, 1:24 PM EST
Mexico sends rescue dogs to Turkey

Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard tweeted photos and videos of rescue dogs headed from Mexico to Turkey to help with the rescue operations.

Feb 07, 1:08 PM EST
Major port suffers damage in earthquake

The Port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey sustained heavy damage on Monday.

The port, located on the Mediterranean coast in the southern province of Hatay, was damaged due to the earthquake that struck Turkey and neighboring Syria.

“The Port of Iskenderun remains closed until further notice, as teams look to repair the significant damage caused by the disaster and subsequent fire,” shipping group AP Moller Maersk said in a statement Tuesday. “We are currently unable to say exactly how long operations will be stopped at the port, but we will keep customers informed of the latest developments as soon as possible.”

Maersk said it was not accepting any new bookings to or from the port and were developing contingency plans with nearby hubs.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 07, 12:41 PM EST
Death toll rises to over 6,200 in Turkey, Syria

The death toll from Monday’s earthquake is now 6,256, according to officials.

The massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 4,544 people in southeastern Turkey, according to the latest figures from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

Meanwhile, at least 1,712 were killed in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 07, 11:02 AM EST
Professional soccer player among the injured

Christian Atsu, a professional soccer player for the Turkish team Hatayspor, was among the more than 8,000 people rescued from the rubble in Turkey, according to his team.

Atsu was injured in the quake. The sporting director for Atsu’s team remains under the rubble, according to a team vice president.

Atsu was on Ghana’s 2014 World Cup team and also played for Newcastle United in the English Premier League.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 07, 9:16 AM EST
150,000 people left homeless in Turkey

At least 150,000 people in Turkey have been left homeless due to Monday’s deadly earthquake and aftershocks, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Feb 07, 9:13 AM EST
Twenty-three million people affected in Turkey, Syria

Some 23 million people in Turkey and Syria have been affected by Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks, according to Turkish and Syrian authorities.

About 13.5 million of them are in Turkey, according to Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by snow and freezing temperatures in the 10 affected Turkish provinces, Kurum said during a press conference Tuesday in the city of Gaziantep, near the quake’s epicenter.

Feb 07, 9:00 AM EST
Turkey declares three-month state of emergency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared a disaster zone in the 10 southeastern provinces affected by the devastating earthquakes, imposing a state of emergency in the region for at least three months.

Erdogan said 70 countries have offered to help with the search and rescue operations in Turkey and that his government plans to open up hotels in the southwestern resort city of Antalya to temporarily house people impacted by the disaster.

Feb 07, 7:32 AM EST
Over 8,000 people rescued in Turkey

More than 8,000 people have been rescued in southeastern Turkey since a powerful earthquake and aftershocks struck the region, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Some 24,000 first responders are on the ground, including more than 3,200 first responders from 14 other countries who traveled to Turkey to assist with the massive search and rescue effort following Monday’s quake. They are carefully combing through the wreckage and looking for survivors amid the 6,000 buildings that have been either damaged or destroyed, according to Oktay.

Feb 07, 7:04 AM EST
Death toll tops 5,000

Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 3,419 people and injured another 20,534 in southeastern Turkey, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay announced during a press conference on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, at least 1,603 were killed and 3,649 injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health, the Syrian civil defense and a medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

Feb 07, 6:41 AM EST
ABC News witnesses rescue operation in Diyarbakir, Turkey

More than 24 hours after devastating earthquakes, ABC News reporters on the ground are witnessing the fevered effort to rescue survivors at a collapsed apartment building in southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir.

ABC News learned that crews had recently rescued a woman from what used to be an eight-story apartment building, where the top half now rests on three flattened floors below. The front wall had fallen away, exposing what used to be homes with furniture, pillows and air conditioning units.

In and around the collapsed building, there was a flurry of activity — but then a moment when it all came to a grinding halt. Generators were turned off, everyone stopped talking and the block went silent. Search and rescue teams thought they may have found another survivor. It was quiet for several minutes, but then the urgent effort returns.

Rescuers continued working in the cold, wet weather while also facing the threat of aftershocks. None of that has deterred them. They know this is a race against time.

Feb 06, 9:39 PM EST
More than 4,000 people dead in Turkey, Syria following earthquake: AFAD

The death toll continues to climb in Turkey and Syria 24 hours after the earthquake struck.

More than 4,300 people have died in the two countries following the devastating earthquake, officials said.

According to the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Management Organization (AFAD), 2,921 people have died in the country from the earthquake, with 15,834 people sustaining injuries.

Approximately 6,217 buildings have collapsed and about 7,840 people have been rescued from the debris and rubble, according to AFAD officials.

In Syria, 1,411 people have died since the earthquake struck the region, officials said.

Feb 06, 6:12 PM EST
Biden calls Erdogan, offers support following quake

President Biden called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this afternoon, following the earthquake that caused devastation in Turkey and Syria, the White House said.

Biden extended condolences and “reaffirmed the readiness of the United States to provide any and all needed assistance to our NATO Ally [Turkey] in response to this tragedy,” according to the White House.

“[Biden] noted that U.S. teams are deploying quickly to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate other assistance that may be required by people affected by the earthquakes, including health services or basic relief items,” the White House said.

-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson

Feb 06, 5:16 PM EST
No US citizens among Turkey casualties so far: State Dept.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday that while the department has not confirmed that any Americans were killed in the recent earthquakes abroad, officials were “realistic” about the high chances of that changing.

“We’re all very sober about the implications of this and the fact that many countries, many nationalities are likely to be implicated just given the massive toll and destruction that this earthquake has cost,” Price said.

In the meantime, he confirmed that all State Department staff in Turkey are accounted for.

The American consulate in Adana, Turkey, would be able to host first responders coming in from foreign countries, Price added.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Feb 06, 4:54 PM EST
13,000 injured in Turkey

As the death toll climbs to 2,316 in Turkey, another 13,000 people in the country are reported to be injured, according to Turkish Emergency Management.

At least 5,606 buildings in Turkey have been completely destroyed, according to Turkish Emergency Management.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 06, 4:25 PM EST
Death toll climbs to 3,700

At least 3,727 lives have been lost in the devastating quake.

The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 2,379 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to Turkish Emergency Management.

In Syria, at least 1,411 people died in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 06, 2:04 PM EST
Death toll climbs over 2,700

At least 2,701 lives have been lost in the devastating quake.

The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to Turkish Emergency Management.

In Syria, at least 1,050 people died in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.

Feb 06, 1:28 PM EST
Turkey declares seven days of mourning

Turkey has declared a seven-day mourning period in the wake of the devastating quake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

“Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in all our country and foreign representations,” Erdogan said.

More than 3,400 buildings in Turkey have been destroyed and over 11,000 people are hurt, according to Turkish officials.

Feb 06, 1:19 PM EST
US deploying two search and rescue teams

The U.S. is deploying two 79-person urban search and rescue teams to Turkey, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

“The president has authorized an immediate U.S. response. So right now, in addition to personnel currently on the ground, we are in the process of deploying additional teams, including two 79-person urban search and rescue teams, to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and to help address the needs of all those who have been hurt or displaced by the earthquake,” Kirby said.

Feb 06, 12:40 PM EST
Death toll nears 2,500

At least 2,494 people have died in Turkey and Syria.

The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency.

In Syria, at least 843 people have been killed in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.

Feb 06, 11:34 AM EST
No casualties on US base

There are no known casualties among U.S. personnel assigned to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, and no major damage to facilities, a base spokesperson told ABC News.

The base is roughly 125 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter.

The 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik “is still mission operational,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Air Force is prepared to assist Turkey if called upon, according to the spokesperson.

Feb 06, 11:03 AM EST
More than 4,200 buildings destroyed

More than 2,800 buildings across Turkey have been completely destroyed, according to Turkey’s Emergency Management Agency, while over 1,400 buildings were demolished in Syria, according the Syrian Civil Defense Agency.

At least 45 nations have pledged to send volunteers and other aid to Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Feb 06, 10:45 AM EST
Death toll climbs to 2,300

At least 2,343 people have died in Turkey and Syria.

The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,500 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency.

In Syria, at least 843 people have been killed in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.

Feb 06, 9:54 AM EST
Biden ‘deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation’

President Joe Biden tweeted that he’s “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation” from the earthquake.

“I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkey and provide any and all needed assistance,” he tweeted.

Feb 06, 9:14 AM EST
UK deploys emergency response teams to Turkey

The United Kingdom announced Monday it is “immediately” deploying emergency response teams to Turkey to assist rescue efforts following a deadly earthquake and powerful aftershocks.

According to a press release from the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 76 U.K. search and rescue specialists, four search dogs as well as rescue equipment will arrive in Turkey on Monday evening. A U.K. emergency medical team is also being sent to assess the situation on the ground.

“We stand ready to provide further support as needed,” U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

In northwestern Syria, where the quake was also felt, the U.K.-aid funded volunteer organization White Helmets has activated a significant search and rescue response and mobilized all its resources to respond to emerging needs. The U.K. government is in contact with the United Nations on emergency humanitarian support to those affected in Syria, according to the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

“The British Embassy in Ankara is in close contact with the Turkish authorities to understand how we can best support those on the ground,” Jill Morris, British Ambassador-Designate to Türkiye said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the earthquakes today We pay tribute to the brave Turkish first responders working to save lives.”

The U.K. government’s announcement came on the heels of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) declaring a “level 4 alarm” in the wake of the pre-dawn earthquake, calling for international assistance.

Feb 06, 7:25 AM EST
Monday’s quake was as powerful as the strongest ever recorded in Turkey

Monday’s deadly earthquake in Turkey, which was felt in Syria and other surrounding countries, was as strong as the most powerful one on record in Turkish history.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Turkey in 1939, killing approximately 30,000 people. Monday’s quake in southeastern Turkey had the same magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Earthquakes frequently occur in Turkey, which is situated on top of major fault lines.

Some 18,000 people were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwestern Turkey in 1999.

Feb 06, 7:02 AM EST
7.5 magnitude aftershock hits Turkey

Several hours after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey early Monday, a powerful aftershock measuring 7.5 hit the country’s Kahramanmaras province around 1:30 p.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Feb 06, 5:42 AM EST
Death toll jumps to over 1,200 in Turkey, Syria

Monday’s earthquake has killed at least 912 people in several Turkish provinces and injured 5,382 others, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced during a press conference.

Thousands of buildings were destroyed, Erdogan said.

Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD, is deploying 1,898 search and rescue workers along with 150 vehicles in response to the deadly earthquake. Turkey’s national police force has deployed 130 tactical unit members with mobile command centers and kitchens to the city of Kahramanmaras, near the quake’s epicenter. A total of 300,000 blankets were also sent to the region, which is deep in winter weather.

Meanwhile, at least 239 people were killed and some 600 were injured in government-held areas of Syria, according to Syrian state media. In rebel-controlled areas, at least 147 people were killed, according to the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a United Kingdom-based monitoring group, put the overall death toll at 320.

Feb 06, 12:12 AM EST
US ‘profoundly concerned’ by ‘destructive earthquake’ in Turkey, Syria

The United States “is profoundly concerned” by the reports of the “destructive earthquake” in Turkey and Syria, and “will continue to closely monitor the situation,” U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement late Sunday night.

“We stand ready to provide any and all needed assistance,” Sullivan added, noting that U.S. President Joe Biden “has directed USAID and other federal government partners to assess U.S. response options to help those most affected.”

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake in Turkey at magnitude of 7.8.

-ABC News’ Lauren Minore

High-altitude object shot down over northern Canada, temporarily closing Montana airspace

February 12, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(TORONTO) — A high-altitude object tracked over northern Canada has been shot down over the Yukon, officials said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he ordered the takedown of “an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace.”

“Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object,” he tweeted.

Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage, Trudeau said.

The object was shot down approximately 100 miles from the Canada-U.S. border in central Yukon, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand told reporters during a press briefing Saturday night. It appears to have been a “small, cylindrical object” that was flying at about 40,000 feet, she said.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command detected the high-altitude object over Alaska late Friday evening, according to Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. Two U.S. F-22 aircraft monitored the object over Alaska, then Canadian aircraft joined as it crossed into Canadian airspace, he said.

Following a call from Trudeau to President Joe Biden on Saturday, Biden authorized that U.S. aircraft take down the new high-altitude object and a U.S. F-22 shot it down with a sidewinder missile, Ryder said.

The leaders authorized that the “unidentified, unmanned object” be taken down “out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of their militaries,” according to a White House readout of the call. They also stressed the importance of recovering the object to determine its purpose or origin, the readout stated.

“As Canadian authorities conduct recovery operations to help our countries learn more about the object, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be working closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” Ryder said in a statement.

The development comes a day after the White House said an unknown “high-altitude object” was shot down over the waters off Alaska.

That object was about the size of a small car and flying at around 40,000 feet, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Friday. U.S. Northern Command said Saturday it had no further details on the object’s “capabilities, purpose or origin.”

“These objects did not closely resemble and were much smaller than the PRC balloon and we will not definitively characterize them until we can recover the debris, which we are working on,” a spokesperson for the NSC told ABC News on Sunday.

Trudeau said he supported the “decision to take action.”

“Our military and intelligence services will always work together, including through @NORADCommand, to keep people safe,” he tweeted Friday.

NORAD confirmed on Saturday that there was a temporary space restriction over Montana.

The airspace was closed due to an object “to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations. The restriction has been lifted,” the statement read.

“NORAD detected a radar anomaly and sent fighter aircraft to investigate. Those aircraft did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits. NORAD will continue to monitor the situation,” the statement continued.

Montana Sen. Steve Daines said he was in contact with the Pentagon regarding the object in the airspace and receiving frequent updates.

“Montanans still have questions about the Chinese spy balloon that flew over our state last week. I’ll continue to demand answers on these invasions of US airspace,” he tweeted.

NORAD and the FAA temporarily closed a section of airspace over Lake Michigan on Sunday afternoon “to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations,” according to both organizations. The air restriction has since been lifted.

NORAD did not immediately reply to questions on the nature of those operations, such as whether fighters were sent up to investigate a radar anomaly, as happened over Montana on Saturday.

“The FAA briefly closed some airspace over Lake Michigan to support Department of Defense activities,” the FAA said in a statement Sunday. “The airspace has been reopened.”

The U.S. also shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, after tracking it across the continental U.S. for several days.

U.S. officials said Friday that the undercarriage of the Chinese balloon — where the surveillance equipment and other technology was housed — had been located.

In the wake of the incident, the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday it added six Chinese entities to their Entity List for “supporting the PRC’s military modernization efforts, specifically those related to aerospace programs, including airships and balloons and related materials and components, that are used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for intelligence and reconnaissance,” according to a press release.

By adding these companies to the list, the U.S. can block them from “obtaining U.S. items and technologies without U.S. government authorization.”

The move is aimed at sending a “clear message to companies, governments, and other stakeholders globally that the entities on the list present a threat to national security,” the release said.

ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

High-altitude object shot down over northern Canada

February 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(TORONTO) — A high-altitude object tracked over northern Canada has been shot down over the Yukon, officials said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he ordered the takedown of “an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace.”

“Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object,” he tweeted.

Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage, Trudeau said.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday that its radars and aircraft had tracked a high-altitude object over northern Canada.

The development comes a day after the White House said an unknown “high-altitude object” was shot down over the waters off Alaska.

Trudeau said he supported the “decision to take action.”

“Our military and intelligence services will always work together, including through @NORADCommand, to keep people safe,” he tweeted Friday.

The U.S. also shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, after tracking it across the continental U.S. for several days.

U.S. officials said Friday that the undercarriage of the Chinese balloon — where the surveillance equipment and other technology was housed — had been located.

By adding these companies to the list, the U.S. can block them from “obtaining U.S. items and technologies without U.S. government authorization.”

The move is aimed at sending a “clear message to companies, governments, and other stakeholders globally that the entities on the list present a threat to national security,” the release said.

ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

100 cheetahs sent to India from South Africa in attempt to repopulate the species

February 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Some 70 years after humans drove cheetahs to extinction in India, the country now seeks to bring them back.

In efforts to reestablish a population, South Africa will ship about 100 of the carnivorous cats to India over the next decade with the first batch of felines set to arrive this month.

The animals will end up in central India’s Kuno National Park, with protected areas home to rare and endangered animals. The cats are among the initial ones introduced in India under Project Cheetah, the first intercontinental translocation initiative of its kind.

The African cheetahs that will be arriving in India are not native to the region but the incoming cats belong to the genetically distinct African subspecies which diverged from its Asiatic cousin thousands of years ago. The now-critically endangered subspecies, the Asiatic cheetah, originally roamed from the Arabian Peninsula to central India, but now only a handful of them remain in Iran and they thought to be inbred with questionable long-term viability.

India’s development in the last 100 years has seen much of the grasslands, where the cats lived and thrived, transformed into farmland. Along with the loss of their natural habitat, prey depletion and hunting also led to their local extinction. In fact, the last known photograph of wild cheetahs in India shows three dead cats posed in front of a hunter more than 70 years ago in 1948.

By moving these cats to India, Project Cheetah seeks to relieve some pressure on South African reserves — where the animals are numerous — while hoping to boost overall cheetah numbers worldwide. It is estimated there are only around 7,000 of the African cats alive today.

India hopes the relocation operation will help sustain biodiversity while also sparking eco-tourism which, in turn, could help local communities economically. To get people excited for the project, the government even recently ran a month-long campaign where people could suggest names for the cheetahs and win a chance to see them.

Zoologist Nobuyuki Yamaguchi of University of Malaysia, Terengganu, tells ABC News that, despite setbacks, healthy cats from Africa would be able to survive in their new Indian environment.

“Some will die but many die in their native habitats in Africa, too,” Yamaguchi said.

Yamaguchi also says the national park the cheetahs will call home can only host between eight to 25 of the cats.

“Conservationists may need to explore the possibility that the cheetahs can live in a human-dominated landscape around the park,” Yamaguchi continued. “Asian lions and leopards currently live outside of parks, but no one knows yet if cheetahs can do it, too.”

While excitement continues to build for the cheetahs’ arrival, it remains to be seen whether support for the African cheetahs will continue long-term. Critics claim the space-requiring cats will eventually face the same human pressure that killed them off decades ago.

India’s government, however, has pledged to expediently manage human-cheetah conflict in conservation areas “through compensation, awareness, and management actions to win community support.”

Yet despite government backing for Project Cheetah and a groundswell of support from the scientific community, the animal’s legal right to exist in the country isn’t guaranteed. The Indian Supreme Court has made it abundantly clear that the translocated cheetahs “would be introduced on an experimental basis.”

Many questions remain about whether translocating a subspecies of cheetah to a new ecosystem thousands of miles away is an effective and ethical way of preserving biodiversity. Some argue that India already has big cats and that the country’s resources should be used on human-related problems, such as overpopulation and poverty.

Carnivore biologist Dr. K. Ullas Karanth, Emeritus Director for the India-based Centre for Wildlife Studies, tells ABC News that Project Cheetah is costly and ill-conceived.

“Basically, the science underpinning this project is poor and India’s wildlife management system is by-and-large not fully trained in the science involved,” Karanth said. “The population models used for Cheetahs are deeply flawed. The African conservationists involved in the project have surplus cheetahs they want to get rid of, and they have no idea of the social conditions in India these cheetahs will face.”

Karanth says the worst-case outcome of Project Cheetah would be of the needless creation of captive, artificially-fed cats in large enclosures.

“Establishing a free-ranging wild cheetah population in India is a multi-decade effort of relocating some villages, in a more arid, much larger area in Western India with sustainable wild prey populations,” Karanth continued. “The size of such an area should be 6,000 to 10,000 square miles .. Bringing the cheetahs over before they have ample land to sustain them is putting the cart before the horse.”

The cats arriving from South Africa will eventually join eight radio-collared cheetah’s — three males and five females — which were translocated in September 2022 from Namibia.

The World Wildlife Fund of India tells ABC News the short-term success of Project Cheetah will be seen as a success if the translocated cheetahs can adapt to and breed in their new environment.

“The initial years of the project will be the most crucial to the beasts’ long-term survival. Ultimate success will be determined by the species persisting in the wild and occupying some of its historical habitats. Only time will tell whether the return of the cheetah will contribute to the overall conservation of wildlife in India — either way, there will be great learning through this whole process.”

At least 26 dead and 2,000 injured as wildfires rage out of control across Chile

February 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NACIMIENTO, Chile) — Wildfires that have been raging across Chile for more than a week have now killed at least 26 people and left more than 2,000 injured.

Over 1,500 homes have also been completely destroyed by the fires, leaving thousands more homeless as a heatwave has enveloped the region with temperatures reaching upwards of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chile’s Interior Ministry confirmed to ABC News that, so far, more than 889,000 acres of forests have been destroyed so far in the Andean nation.

Over 6,000 firefighters — many of them mainly volunteers — are currently on the ground trying to control more than 323 active fires, including 90 that are raging out of control, according to officials.

Weather experts say that the drought that has taken hold in Chile has been brought on by a mix of climate change and a Pacific Ocean weather condition called La Nina. The combination of these conditions have allowed for stronger winds from the ocean to deeper into Chile and has been a catalyst for the spread of these wildfires.

The Chilean government have now put three regions in the south-central part of the country — Biobio, La Araucaunia and Nuble — on high alert and Chile’s Interior Minister Carolina Toha said that a curfew will be declared in these regions.

The United States has sent a DC-10 Air Tanker aircraft with a capacity of 36,000 liters to help contain the wildfires while Chilean authorities said that Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico and Spain have already provided some form of logistics and material support.

Toha also said that water tanks could be used to battle the fires and have asked for them to be available as soon as possible.

Authorities warned that high temperatures and strong winds could further complicate the situation even further over the weekend.

Paul Whelan’s brother says ‘don’t give up’ on him as Russian detainment passes 1,500 days

February 10, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Paul Whelan’s detainment in Russia has passed 1,500 days, and his brother David Whelan is urging people not to give up on him.

President Joe Biden focused on the domestic agenda during his State of the Union address Tuesday and did not mention Paul Whelan, who was convicted to 16 years in a Russian prison in June 2020 on spying charges, which the former Marine has always denied.

David Whelan told ABC News Live’s Linsey Davis that he was not disappointed that there was not a mention of his brother as the U.S. is grappling with many issues involving the Kremlin.

However, David Whelan continued to call for his brother’s release.

LINSEY DAVIS: Former Marine Paul Whelan, who has been held in a Russia prison for 1,500 days now. His brother David joins us now. David, thank you so much for coming on the show. Always appreciate you joining us. Were you disappointed that the president didn’t include any mention of your brother or other detainees?

DAVID WHELAN: No. Paul’s the only wrongful detainee American in Russia. And although it’s an important case to us, I realize that it’s a smaller issue among all of the other issues that the American government has with the Kremlin right now. So I would have been very surprised for Paul to come up.

DAVIS: Of course, there was some hope that Paul would be released along with Brittney Griner back in December. What can you tell us about the current status of the negotiations for his release?

WHELAN: Well, the State Department has taken a 180. It has gone very quiet in its attempts to bring Paul home. Last autumn and summer, it was much more vocal talking about what it was trying to do. They’ve gone very quiet and so we’re really waiting to see what they’re up to, what success they might have. And we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

DAVIS: When was the last time you had a chance to talk to your brother?

WHELAN: My parents spoke to him yesterday and he seems as well as you can be. The hot water has been turned off in the prisons for the last few weeks, so no one’s been able to shower or use hot water. They’ve had to boil their own water for drinking and things like that. So it’s a rough life. It’s surviving, it’s not living. But he seems to be doing as well as he can.

DAVIS: As we noted, it’s now been 1,500 days, more than four years. How’s the family holding up? How are you? How are your parents?

WHELAN: Well, I mean, you get tired, obviously. It’s been a long time. But we can’t give up because Paul can’t give up. We need to get him home. And so we know that we’re in this for the long haul and hopefully it won’t be too long. But I just confirmed recently with his lawyer in Russia that his release date would be December 28, 2034. So that’s the date we have to work towards until the U.S. government is able to convince the Kremlin to release him.

DAVIS: You were saying that you guys can’t give up because your brother can’t, but do you ever lose hope or is that always there?

WHELAN: No. There have been times where I probably thought I lost hope. But really, hope is about expecting Paul to come home at some point and to see our parents again, which is really the goal. And so long as I have that to fuel me, that keeps me going.

DAVIS: You said that your parents got a chance to speak to him yesterday. When was the last time you talked to him?

WHELAN: Oh, I haven’t spoken to him since October of 2018 – so over four years.

DAVIS: Do you think about? Do you allow yourself to think about that day that you see him or talk to him again and what you might say, what it might be like?

WHELAN: I don’t really. It’s hard because we’ve had a number of disappointments. Obviously, we were very thrilled that Trevor Reed came home last year, last April, and Brittney Griner came home in December. But each time that Paul doesn’t come home, it’s a disappointment. And so I try not to think too far ahead. Obviously, I’ll be glad to see him when that day comes.

DAVIS: David Whelan, we thank you so much. Our thoughts continue to be with you and your family.

WHELAN: Thank you.

Turkey earthquake live updates: Death toll rises to over 21,000 in Turkey, Syria

February 10, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — More than 21,000 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria early Monday, according to officials.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Feb 10, 6:58 AM EST
Death toll rises to over 21,000 in Turkey, Syria

Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks have killed at least 18,342 people and injured more than 75,000 others in southeastern Turkey, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

Meanwhile, at least 3,300 people were killed and 5,245 others were injured in both government- and rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria, according to combined figures from the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian civil defense and medical group that operates in opposition-held areas, known as the White Helmets.