“Catas*trophe of the Century” | The number of Syrians ki*lled in devas*tating earthquake jumps to 2,751
Hospitals in regime-controlled areas and areas held by opposition factions in north-east Syria are unable to deal with the significant humanitarian catastrophe caused by the most violent earthquake in this region in the 21st Century. Meanwhile, no assistance, mainly heavy diggers and professional rescue teams, have not been sent to disaster-stricken areas to rescue people stranded under rubble and recover bodies.
In this context, SOHR activists have reported that the number of Syrians killed due to the violent earthquake has increased to 2,751 people, as well as the injury of 2,030 others. The fatalities are distributed as follows:
- 1,331 people in regime-controlled areas.
- 1,420 people in areas controlled by the “Salvation Government” and the “Syrian Interim Government,” including 680 fatalities in Jendires and 150 others in Al-Atareb city in Aleppo countryside.
The violent earthquake also caused total and partial damage to buildings in 72 villages, towns and cities in the middle, north-west and west of Syria.
It is worth noting that ongoing increase in the number of fatalities is attributed to the inability of medical and rescue teams to save injured people and survivors stranded under rubble and inability of rescue teams to reach many areas affected by the earthquake in light of the poor capabilities.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights appeals to international authorities to interfere immediately to save injured people and survivors in light of the poor capabilities of Syrian rescue teams.
SOHR also calls upon Turkish authorities to receive injured Syrian people in hospitals in Turkey and send Turkish medical teams to the disaster-stricken areas.