Earthquake Death Toll Tops 20,000

February 9, 2023 4:10 am

ANTAKYA, Turkey (AP) – Thousands who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires and clamored for food and water in the bitter cold, three days after the temblor and a series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria. More than 20,000 were killed. Emergency crews used pick axes, shovels and jackhammers to dig through twisted metal and concrete. They occasionally still pulled survivors out. But in some places, they switched the focus to demolishing unsteady buildings. While stories of miraculous rescues briefly buoyed spirits, the grim reality of the hardship facing tens of thousands who survived the disaster cast a pall.