Martin Griffiths, the UN's aid chief, made these comments while visiting the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras, which was one of the hardest-hit areas.
Martin Griffiths, UN's Aid Chief, Comments on Devastating Earthquake
In an interview with Sky News, Martin Griffiths said, "I think it's really difficult to estimate [the death toll] very precisely because you need to get under the rubble. But I'm sure it'll double or more. And that's terrifying." This comment echoes the most recent assessment by Risklayer, a catastrophe risk firm that believes an estimated 52,000 people died in the earthquake, with a potential death toll ranging as high as 105,671.
Rescue Work Continues Despite Decreasing Survival Odds
Rescue work is still underway to find additional survivors, even though the odds of survival are becoming increasingly small. Nine people were rescued late Saturday in Hatay, Adıyaman, and Kahramanmaraş, including a family of three, a 7-year-old girl, and a 10-year-old boy. They were trapped for 136 to 138 hours, nearly six days.
Martin Griffiths Comments on the Heartening Response to the Earthquake
Martin Griffiths said, "On the one hand, it's deeply, deeply shocking – the idea that these mountains of rubble hold people, some of them still alive, many of them dead. But on the other hand, the extraordinary response to this, the most disastrous earthquake [in Turkey] in 100 years … is phenomenal. And it's heartening."
Official Death Toll and Injuries from Monday's Earthquake
The official death toll from Monday's earthquake stands at 27,606, including 22,327 in Turkey and 5,279 in Syria, according to data gathered by BNO News. The number of injured stands at 80,278 and 5,338, respectively.
