Death toll in Turkey, Syria quake surpasses 21,000

More than 21,000 people could have been killed in the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria four days ago, according to latest statistics released by authorities and rescuers.

The death toll from the earthquakes increased to 17,674 in Turkey, with 72,879 injuries, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Thursday.

In Syria, 1,678 people were killed in government-held areas, and the death toll in the opposition-held region stood at 2,190, according to reports.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Turkey’s southern province of Kahramanmaras at 4:17 a.m. local time, followed by a magnitude 6.4 quake a few minutes later in the country’s southern province of Gaziantep and a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at 1:24 p.m. local time in Kahramanmaras province. International search and rescue teams arrived in Turkey rushed to the quake-impacted zone to assist in rescue efforts.