ANKARA (dpa-AFX) - The death toll from the massive earthquake near the Turkey-Syrian border has crossed 5000 as rescuers are battling heavy rain and snow to find survivors.
With rescue workers continue to recover survivors as well as dead bodies from rubbles of collapsed buildings and huge concrete slabs in southern Turkey and across the border in Syria, the World Health Organization said the number of victims may rise dramatically.
Hundreds of people were left homeless after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of Monday.
Turkey's Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) put the death toll in the country at 3,432 and the number of those injured at 21,103. Reports quoting officials in Syria say more then 1600 people died and 3,649 others were injured.
Aftershocks and freezing conditions are reportedly hampering search efforts.
65 countries have deployed their personnel to support rescue efforts in areas devastated by the quake.
Planes carrying aid from Iraq and Iran landed at Damascus International Airport on Tuesday morning, Syrian state media SANA reported.
Japan announced it would send the country's Disaster Relief Rescue team to Turkey. India is dispatching two disaster relief teams to Turkey.
Pakistan has already sent two search and rescue teams to the ravaged country, while Australia and New Zealand committed funds for humanitarian assistance.
The European Union activated its crisis response mechanism, while the United States said it would send two search and rescue units to Turkey.
President Joe Biden spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and pledged U.S. assistance to its NATO ally. He noted that U.S. teams are deploying quickly to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and coordinate other assistance that may be required by people affected by the earthquakes, including health services or basic relief items.
Meanwhile, international donors are struggling to send aid to rebel-held quake-hit parts of northwest Syria, which is not under the government's control, reports said.
'The numbers are expected to rise significantly because hundreds of families are still under the rubble' of collapsed buildings in the region, the White Helmets said on Twitter.
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