The death toll in Turkey and Syria earthquakes has crossed 15000 and
thousands others have been left injured and homeless.
As criticism mounted online, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited
one of the hardest-hit spots, quake epicentre Kahramanmaras, and
acknowledged problems in the response.
“Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It’s
not possible to be ready for a disaster like this,” he said.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing growing criticism from families left
frustrated by a slow response from rescue teams, as hope dwindles that more
survivors will be found.
Many Turks have complained of a lack of equipment, expertise and support to
help those who are trapped – leaving them helpless as they hear cries from
under the rubble.
Similar issues are being reported in neighbouring Syria, with the country’s
UN ambassador conceding the government has a “lack of capabilities and a
lack of equipment”.
Across Turkey and Syria, many of those in areas hardest hit by the 7.8
magnitude quake – and subsequent aftershocks – are afraid of going back
into buildings.
Some survivors are still being found – with footage showing a young girl in
pyjamas and an older man holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers
being lifted from debris.
Meanwhile, Twitter has been restricted in Turkey on Wednesday, the
Netblocks internet observatory said.
“Real-time network data show Twitter has been restricted in Turkey; the
filtering is applied on major internet providers and comes as the public
come to rely on the service in the aftermath of a series of deadly
earthquakes,” said Netblocks, which tracks connectivity across the globe.
