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Turkish authorities are targeting contractors allegedly linked with buildings that collapsed in the powerful February 6 earthquakes as rescuers found more survivors in the rubble on Sunday, including a pregnant woman and two children, in the disaster that killed over 33,000 people, with the UN warning that the final death toll could rise by “double or more”. Follow FRANCE 24 for live updates. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
3:25am: US urges Syria, all parties to allow earthquake aid to get to those in need
The US government on Sunday called on Syria and all parties to immediately grant humanitarian access to all those in need across the country after the devastating earthquakes that killed at least 33,000 people.
“All humanitarian assistance must be permitted to move through all border crossings, and distribution of aid must be permitted to all affected areas without delay,” a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said.
Washington called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to grant immediate access to humanitarian assistance to all those in need, without exception, and urged him to follow through on a blanket authorization for humanitarian assistance deliveries.
A United Nations spokesperson on Sunday said earthquake aid from government-held parts of Syria into opposition-controlled territory has been held up by “approval issues” with one hardline group. The issue poses an added challenge for aid workers trying to reach the northern regions affected by the earthquakes.
Of the 3,500 deaths so far reported in Syria the bulk occurred in the northwest, in territory largely held by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which the US considers a terrorist organisation.
2:30am: Turkey probes contractors as earthquake deaths pass 33,000
Turkish authorities are targeting contractors allegedly linked with buildings that collapsed in last week’s powerful earthquakes as the focus turns to assigning blame.
Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 131 people were under investigation for their alleged responsibility in the construction of buildings that failed to withstand the quakes. While the quakes were powerful, many in Turkey blame faulty construction for multiplying the devastation.
Turkey’s construction codes meet current earthquake-engineering standards, at least on paper, but they are rarely enforced, explaining why thousands of buildings toppled over or pancaked down onto the people inside.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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