>

Erdogan's nepotism and corruption doesn't help though...
Even new government buildings were collapsed yesterday. If your hospital can't survive disasters, who can help you?
WHO estimates death toll could rise up to 20,000 people in Turkey & Syria. >

Risklayer, a catastrophe risk firm, is estimating the death toll at around 30,000 based on the known damage. >

It was before second earthquake afaik >

After according to their Twitter. >

Current number of collapsed buildings is 5606 in Turkey alone...
This is about as grim a disaster situation as it gets... 
The word out of Syria is just as bad it seems and the weather is hovering right around freezing. 
Help can't arrive quickly enough for many of those currently stuck. >


Current number of collapsed buildings is 5606 in Turkey alone

If even half of those collapsed buildings were residential properties then that could be a devastatingly high casualty number. >

Yup... considering 4:17 am is the dead of night for even night owls, this is looking like a worst case scenario. My heart is broken for the whole region. The lucky ones got killed instantly. >

Around 13:15-13:30. >

Still, with all the damage already done, it was rough to hear there was another quake that strong. Glad it wasn't at night, but damn. >

It’s so dark to think that while I’m watching Netflix and surfing Reddit there’s likely people stuck under a ton of rubble thinking about their imminent demise.
The world can be so grim. >

Weirder to know them. There was an old guy I would see over the window in the office. We have seen him watching porn in house once so we called him "porn uncle". His apartment is gone now. I don't know if he was there but very likely he was. >

RIP Porn Uncle >

Jesus Christ you just have to make it official >

This is so horrific >

Devastating loss of life. >

Tonight, California and Virginia are sending rescue teams with dogs to help. The devastation is so widespread, but I hope they are able to help rescue some of the trapped/buried people. I can barely bring myself to watch the news because this is such a sad situation on so many levels. >

The West Coast has a lot of experience with earthquakes and runs a lot of drills for finding survivors so hopefully that will help. I know they train for mass casualty events like this. >

Those poor people. Been though this in a small way and its horrific. What an awful thing to happen. Hope they get aid fast but its going to be hard. >

As somebody else stated.  It's supposed to be -5C at night.  Hypothermia is hard enough to avoid in those Temps healthy and fully clothed.  Now all those people trapped hurt.
I feel 20k frankly isn't going to be the number.  I fear much higher. >

I know this is a horrible thought to even have but it's made with genuine curiosity...
If someone was trapped under rubble, alive but awaiting rescue, I wonder if the debrit itself would provide any sort of protection from cold since its between the outside air and the person underneath. >

At the time the earthquake occurred, most people would have been asleep in bed, so I suppose in some cases survivors of the immediate destruction would have access to warm bedding that might also help to filter dust from the air around them.  However, I wouldn't imagine lying on top of a bed to be a terribly safe place when the surrounding structure collapses. >

Depending on the length of the shaking, i would assume lots of people tried to get out of bed then got trapped away from their blankets >

there hasn't even been a relief team for hatay or the villages around. I fear much worse... >

Genuine question, where does all the rubble go for something like this?  Like how does cleanup even begin once the search for people ends?  Where would you even start? >

After WW2, many cities piled all the rubble on a heap outside of the city. In Berlin, for example, it's a hill called Teufelsberg (Devil's Mountain) which is a park now and you can go sledding there in the winter. >

That's so terrible >

As a child that went through the '89 earthquake in CA. This has much horror >

Absolutely devastating. >

I wouldn't be surprised if the death toll surpasses 100,000. That's a huge quake to hit a densely populated area with not the best architectural standards. >

And it hit at 4 AM. >

And cold weather >

-30 *C! I didn’t know it could get that cold in Turkey >

There is a desperate need for shelter. It’s a harsh winter there right now. If the victims are left without anywhere to stay, even more people will die to the cold than to the earthquake. >

Where can we donate? >

Do not donate to Turkish Red Crescent. They have been known to be corrupt and Turkish people in general do not trust the Red Crescent due to previous embezzlement allegations. Ahbap is a very reputable and highly trusted NGO though. >

If it only hit 20k, I'd call it a miracle. 
This is gonna be one of the worst, and it's so horrible. 
No person, politics, doctrine, or belief to blame. Disasters like this are so heartbreaking.