Live Updates | UNESCO reviews quake damage to ancient sites
ADANA, Turkey (AP) — A frantic race was underway Tuesday to find more survivors and help the injured as the death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria the previous day passed 5,000. The toll is likely to increase as freezing weather and multiple aftershocks complicate rescue efforts that are being carried out with international assistance.
Here's the latest on the aftermath of Monday's 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated parts of southeast Turkey and northern Syria.
___ The United Nations’ cultural agency says it is conducting a preliminary survey of damage to heritage sites in the earthquake-hit areas, with an aim to help rapidly secure and stabilize them. The Paris-based UNESCO is “particularly concerned about the situation in the ancient city of Aleppo” in Syria, which is on the agency's list of endangered World Heritage.
“Significant damage has been noted in the citadel. The western tower of the old city wall has collapsed and several buildings in the souks have been weakened,” the statement said.
In Turkey, UNESCO said it was saddened by the news of the collapse of several buildings at the Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens, a World Heritage site which goes back to ancient Greek and Roman times. ___
KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
— Rescuers worked to pull more survivors from the rubble as cold, snowy conditions shorten the time needed to save lives.
— The earthquake wreaked new damage and suffering in Syria’s last rebel-held enclave after years of fighting and bombardment.
— Dozens of countries are sending experts and aid to help rescue efforts.
— What to know about the science behind the powerful quake and its aftershocks.
— A glance at some of the world’s deadliest earthquakes since...