(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) –More than 21,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria after earthquakes swept through the region Monday. Rescue workers are now racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings in freezing winter conditions.
At least 78,124 people were injured across both countries, according to authorities.
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The natural disaster is one of the deadliest earthquakes in two decades.
The World Bank has promised $1.78bn to Turkey in relief and recovery assistance.
