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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Eleven days after the quake hit, three survivors were dug out from the rubble in Türkiye on Friday. The death toll in Türkiye stands at 40,642, while neighbouring Syria has reported more than 5,800 deaths. Syria's toll has not changed for days.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

More than 45,000 people have been killed in the earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria, and the toll is expected to rise.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Eleven days after the quake hit, three survivors were dug out from the rubble in Türkiye on Friday.

The death toll in Türkiye stands at 40,642, while neighbouring Syria has reported more than 5,800 deaths. Syria's toll has not changed for days.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Mosques around the world on Friday performed absentee funeral prayers for the dead in Türkiye and Syria, many of whom could not receive full burial rites given the enormity of the disaster.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

While many international rescue teams have left the vast quake zone, domestic teams continued to search through flattened buildings on Saturday hoping to find more survivors who defied the odds.

Experts say most rescues occur in the 24 hours following an earthquake.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Hakan Yasinoglu, in his 40s, was rescued in the southern province of Hatay, 278 hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the dead of night on Feb. 6, the Istanbul Fire Brigade said.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Earlier, Osman Halebiye, 14, and Mustafa Avci, 34, were saved in Türkiye's historic city of Antakya, known in ancient times as Antioch.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

As Avci was carried away, he was put on a video call with his parents, who showed him his newborn baby.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

"I had completely lost all hope. This is a true miracle. They gave me my son back. I saw the wreckage and I thought nobody could be saved alive from there," his father said.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

An exhausted Avci was later reunited with his wife Bilge and daughter Almile at a hospital in Mersin.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Aid organisations say the survivors will need help for months to come with so much crucial infrastructure destroyed.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

In neighbouring Syria, already shattered by more than a decade of civil war, the bulk of fatalities have been in the northwest, an area controlled by insurgents who are at war with President Bashar al-Assad - a conflict that has complicated efforts to aid people affected by the earthquake.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

The sides clashed overnight for the first time since the disaster, with government forces shelling the outskirts of Atareb, a rebel-held town badly hit by the earthquake, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Friday.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Thousands of Syrians who had sought refuge in Türkiye from their country's civil war have returned to their homes in the war zone - at least for now.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Neither Türkiye nor Syria have said how many people are still missing following the quake.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

For families still waiting to retrieve relatives in Türkiye, there is growing anger over what they see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development that resulted in thousands of homes and businesses disintegrating.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

One such building was the Ronesans Rezidans (Renaissance Residence), which keeled over in Antakya, killing hundreds.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

"It was said to be earthquake-safe, but you can see the result," said Hamza Alpaslan, 47, whose brother had lived in the apartment block.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

"It's in horrible condition. There is neither cement nor proper iron in it. It's a real hell."

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

Türkiye has promised to investigate anyone suspected of responsibility for the collapse of buildings and has ordered the detention of more than 100 suspects, including developers.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total

The United Nations on Thursday appealed for more than $1 billion in funds for the Turkish relief operation, and has launched a $400 million appeal for Syrians.

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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total
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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total
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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total
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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total
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Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 in total