Turkish President Recep Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency across 10 provinces worst affected by Monday’s devastating earthquakes.
Mr. Erdogan said the death toll from the earthquakes center in southeastern Turkey has risen to three thousand 549, bringing the total number of people killed to more than five thousand including those in northern Syria.
The initial magnitude 7-point-8 tremor, Centre 33 kilometers west of the city of Gaziantep, brought down buildings as people slept and was followed by a magnitude 7-point-6 earthquake hours later.
Dozens of countries from around the world have promised search and rescue operations, which are being hampered by cold and snow.