February 9, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

By Tara Subramaniam, Sana Noor Haq, Ed Upright, Adrienne Vogt, Matt Meyer, Maureen Chowdhury, Tori B. Powell and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 1:47 AM ET, Fri February 10, 2023
44 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
5:24 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

10-year-old Turkish girl found alive under rubble in 90th hour since the earthquake

From CNN's Isil Sariyuce and Mohammed Tawfeeq

A 10-year-old girl was found alive in the 90th hour since Turkey's earthquake, according to a statement from the Antalya Metropolitan Fire Department on Thursday. The first thing she asked for after her rescue was milk, the statement said.

Hilal Sağlam was trapped underneath the rubble of a building located in the Hatay province. The rescue team "heard the sound from under the rubble" and were able to rescue Sağlam "as a result of a meticulous 7-hour work in the wreckage," the statement added,

"The injured girl, who was taken to the stretcher with great joy and applause, was sent to the hospital for treatment by ambulance," the fire department said.
5:09 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

More than 21,000 people died in the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, officials say

From CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Jonny Hallam 

A woman reacts as people bury victims of the deadly earthquake in a cemetery in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 9.
A woman reacts as people bury victims of the deadly earthquake in a cemetery in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 9. (Suhaib Salem/Reuters)

The death toll following the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday has climbed to at least 21,051, according to authorities.

In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 17,674, and the number of injured is 72,879, Vice President Fuat Oktay said Thursday.

In Syria, at least 3,377 people were killed, including 2,030 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defense group — and 1,347 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media. 

The number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,245 —2,295 in government-controlled and 2,950 in the rebel-held area.

At least 78,124 people in Syria and Turkey were injured following the quakes, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.

4:53 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

Residents of Gaziantep face uncertain future after homes destroyed

From Louai Al-Absi in Gaziantep

After a devastating earthquake upended the lives of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria, many have expressed uncertainty about what's next for them.

In the city of Gaziantep, in the southeast of Turkey, many people -- whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged – have found refuge at a camp located in a public park in the city center.

Here are some of their stories:

Sinan Demir, a 45-year-old blacksmith from Gaziantep, said his neighborhood was destroyed after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region. He had to go to a basketball club for shelter for three days before he came to the park. Demir is married and has four children. His elderly father lives with them.

He said he does not know when he will leave the camp because his house needs repair, and he called on the Turkish government to expedite the repair of damaged homes.

Mustafa Oso, a 35-year-old Syrian, came to Turkey several years ago and lives in Gaziantep. Before the earthquake, he lived with his family and brothers, but when the second quake took place on Tuesday, the building next to their home was demolished and his house became uninhabitable.

Oso said he wants to eventually move to Europe.

Mehmat Aslan, 81, lives alone after his wife died and his children traveled to Germany. The earthquake destroyed his home, and he is now staying in a cafeteria.

4:21 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

New York family killed in building collapse in Turkey earthquake

From CNN’s David Williams and Gloria Pazmino 

A New York family visiting relatives in Turkey was among the thousands of people killed in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria Monday.

Burak Firik, a former board member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations New York Chapter (CAIR-NY), was killed along with his wife Kimberly and their sons Hamza, 2, and Bilal, 1, CAIR-NY Legal Director Ahmed M. Mohamed told CNN.

The family was in an apartment building located in the Kahramanmaraş region of Turkey — the epicenter of Monday’s deadly earthquake, according to Mohamed. The apartment building collapsed during the quake.

Mohamed said he’d known Firik since 2019 and last talked to him a few months ago before he went to Turkey to be with his father, who was having open-heart surgery.

“He was a very active individual in his community, a pillar for his family, pillar for the Muslim community, the Turkish-American community and really, he was a servant leader who put his faith into action,” Mohamed said.

Mohamed said Firik was interested in computers and technology, studied the markets and enjoyed reading – he’d made it a goal to read a book every day. Mohamed added that Firik "was a family man" who loved his family.

“That’s really the reason he was in Turkey was to be with his family.”

He said he’s been in touch with Kimberly’s family.

“They’re obviously devastated and heartbroken,” Mohamed said. “I think they’re a very close-knit family. They care deeply for each other."

He said it was very sad that the family died together.

“As Muslims, we believe that they’re reunited in heaven together,” Mohamed said. “I know that he's looking down on us and what he and his family probably would want is to make sure that we provide as much humanitarian aid as possible to those who are suffering right now and need it.”
4:04 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

Days after the quake, rescue teams still finding survivors, including a young girl

From CNN's Hande Atay Alam, Jennifer Z. Deaton and Isil Sariyuce 

Rescues continue across the 10 provinces of Turkey impacted by Monday's deadly earthquake.

Three girls between the ages of 5 and 10 were found alive under the debris during a search-and-rescue operation in Kahramanmaras on Thursday, according to CNN's sister network CNN Turk

One of the girls was pulled from beneath the rubble in the 89th hour since the earthquake struck, CNN Turk reported.

The girl only appeared to have light scratches, the CNN Turk reporter said, describing the operation as a "miracle rescue operation."

The other two girls are in communication with the search-and-rescue team but are still trapped, as efforts to pull them free continue, according to CNN Turk.

In Adiyaman, a 17-year-old girl, Gulsum Yesilkaya, was saved Thursday after a 27-hour rescue operation, according to CNN Turk. She was taken directly to the ambulance, CNN Turk reported. 

Yigit Akar, 23, was also rescued on Thursday, according to Turkey state news Anadolu agency. He was trapped underneath the rubble of a building in Gaziantep's Islahiye district in the Camlica neighborhood, Anadolu reported. 

5:23 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquake climbs to over 20,700

From CNN's Hande Atay Alam and Mohammed Tawfeeq

People wait for news of their loved ones, believed to be trapped under collapsed building, in Hatay, Turkey on February 9.
People wait for news of their loved ones, believed to be trapped under collapsed building, in Hatay, Turkey on February 9. (Burak Kara/Getty Images)

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 20,783, according to authorities.

In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 17,406 with 70,347 others reported injured on Thursday, according to Turkey's Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu. 

The total number of deaths in Syria climbed to 3,377, including 2,030 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defense group. An additional 1,347 deaths were reported in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media. 

The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,245, with 2,295 in government-controlled areas and 2,950 in rebel-held areas.

At least 75,592 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey overall, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.

3:36 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

US providing $85 million for humanitarian aid to those affected by quake in Turkey and Syria

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

The United States will provide $85 million for humanitarian assistance to those impacted by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

“This new funding is supporting USAID’s humanitarian partners to deliver urgently-needed aid for millions of people in Türkiye and in Syria,” the US Agency for International Development said in a press release Thursday.

The aid includes food and shelter for refugees and those who've been displaced, as well as winter supplies to help people in the bitterly cold temperatures, trauma support, clean drinking water and sanitation assistance. 

USAID has deployed a disaster assistance response team, which is made up of 200 people and 12 dogs, and is operating out of the cities of Adiyaman, Adana and Ankara.

5:32 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

Monday's earthquake was one of the deadliest in 2 decades

With the death toll in Turkey and Syria surpassing 20,000, the earthquake has now marked a grim milestone — it's in the top 10 of deadliest quakes over the past 20 years.

A number of factors have contributed to making this earthquake so lethal. One of them is the time of day it occurred. With the quake hitting early in the morning, many people were in their beds when it happened, and are now trapped under the rubble of their homes.

Additionally, with a cold and wet weather system moving through the region, poor conditions have made reaching affected areas trickier, and rescue and recovery efforts on both sides of the border significantly more challenging once teams have arrived.

The 7.8 magnitude quake earlier this week 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.

1:46 p.m. ET, February 9, 2023

Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquake surpasses 20,000

From CNN's Hande Atay Alam, Isil Sariyuce, Celine Alkhaldi and Mostafa Salem 

A man, center, reacts after rescue team members removed the dead body of his father in Elbistan.
A man, center, reacts after rescue team members removed the dead body of his father in Elbistan. (Francisco Seco/AP)

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is now at least 20,451, according to authorities.

In Turkey, the death toll has risen to at least 17,134 with 70,347 others reported injured on Thursday, according to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

The total number of deaths in Syria climbs to at least 3,317 — including 1,970 in rebel-held areas in the northwest according to the White Helmets civil defense group, and 1,347 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria — according to Syrian state media. 

The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories rose to 5,245, with 2,295 in government-controlled and 2,950 in the rebel-held areas.

At least 75,592 people have been injured in Syria and Turkey, according to figures from the Turkish government, the White Helmets and Syrian state media.

Members of search-and-rescue teams work at the site of a collapsed building in Hatay on February 9.
Members of search-and-rescue teams work at the site of a collapsed building in Hatay on February 9. (Kemal Aslan/Reuters)