ANKARA, Feb 13 (EW): Rescue efforts continue a week after catastrophic earthquakes hit Turkiye and Syria where the death toll now surpassed 34,000, while hope of finding survivors is waning despite some unbelievable rescues.
Thousands died in one of the deadliest natural disasters, and millions were left homeless amid extremely harsh weather. In the quake-hit regions, operations were conducted as heavy machinery removed tons of rubble produced by collapsed buildings.
After imposing an emergency, Turkish officials started detaining contractors whom officials believe are responsible for the poor construction of structures that were snapped in a short time.
Meanwhile, many international rescuers stopped operations citing concerns over security. German rescue operations in southeast Turkiye were halted over the weekend. As other rescuers paused their rescue efforts, the Turkish ministry of defence said the army had stepped in to offer protection.
