The Devastating Death Toll of Turkey from Earthquakes is Unreal & Mind Numbing | From Ground Zero

#türkiye ##earthquake #syria The death toll following the devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria this week, has climbed to at least 22,772, according to authorities and this figure, could rise even further. In Turkey alone, the death toll has risen to at least 19,388 with over 77000 others reported injured, according to Turkey’s President Erdogan, who is facing widespread resentment for people. They are asking him not to come to them for votes, because he wants to hold a crunch election on 14th May that could keep his government in power until 2028. This when the region is still digging out its dead and many are living on the streets or in their cars. Erdogan has declared a three-month emergency across 10 earthquake-hit provinces but this earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Erdogan. Just when he was gaining some momentum and starting to lift his approval numbers from an all time low that he suffered during Turkey’s worst economic crisis that exploded last year, this quake has changed everything. And his response to this crisis is being widely criticised by the people of his own country. Locals complain that rescuers didn't arrive in time to pull out people who survived the first critical hours. Some pointed to a lack of machinery to drill through slabs of concrete. And the winters are making matters worse. "People who didn't die from the earthquake were left to die in the cold," as per a local. So many stories of heroism, courage, hope, despair and death are filling the news space everyday. From a newborn and the mother being rescued after spending 4 harrowing days under the rubble to a father refusing to let go of his 15 year old daughter’s hand, who is now dead. Then there is also the story of 2 Indian dogs named Romeo and Juliet, who played an instrumental role in finding 6-year-old Nasreen, under tons of rubble in Turkey. But such stories of life are few and far in between. Turkey has been overcome with widespread death and destruction and once again it’s not the politicians or the powerful, who have suffered but the innocent people, who till seconds before the earthquake struck, had no idea that their lives were either going to end, or change for worse, forever. Turkey’s neighbour Syria where the loss of life is far less, has seen three thousand three hundred and eighty four deaths including rebels and others. The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories is over 5000. In total, a mindboggling 82,000 people in Syria and Turkey have been injured following the quakes, according to figures coming in from official sources and as we all know, these figures rarely depict the true magnitude of the disaster. While help has poured in generously from around the world including India and the UAE, experts and people on the ground believe the number could be even higher. Our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every family that has been impacted and devastated by this unimaginable natural disaster. In a world, where we do not need man-made calamities to kill eachother, this earthquake is a reminder of just how powerless we are against nature’s fury and the act of God. The least we can do is stop making it worse. Leave your thoughts for the people of Turkey and Syria in the comments below. Tell us anything else that you have in mind. But as always please take care of yourself and those around you. Jai Hind.