https://www.scmp.com/rss/514874/feed Turkey and Syria were hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6, 2023, killing at least 42,000 people and collapsing hundreds of buildings in one of the worst natural disasters in years. It was followed hours later by a second one almost as powerful. Dozens of countries, including China and the United States, have pledged aid even as rescuers race against time to find survivors. How to helpTurkish Consulate General Hong KongUnicef Hong KongOxfamSave the ChildrenWorld Vision Hong KongRed... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Sindirgi in western Turkey on Sunday, the Turkish disaster management agency (AFAD) said, killing at least one person and injuring dozens more. The quake was felt across several cities in the west of the country, including Istanbul and the tourist hotspot of Izmir. “An 81-year-old person died soon after having been rescued from under the rubble,” Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told journalists at Sindirgi, the epicentre of the quake. Another 29 people... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3321391/earthquake-magnitude-61-strikes-turkeys-northwestern-balikesir-province?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3321391/earthquake-magnitude-61-strikes-turkeys-northwestern-balikesir-province?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 18:36:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The mayors of three major cities in southern Turkey were arrested on Saturday, state-run media reported, joining a growing list of opposition figures detained since the mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned in March. Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who heads Adana municipality, were detained in early morning raids, according to Anadolu Agency. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP. The CHP mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Bocek, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317098/3-mayors-arrested-opposition-crackdown-southern-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317098/3-mayors-arrested-opposition-crackdown-southern-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 11:42:12 +0000 Jess Ma,Danny Mok Jess Ma,Danny Mok A Hong Kong rescue team received a hero’s welcome upon its return to the city on Wednesday night after spending 11 days in earthquake-stricken Myanmar searching for survivors. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and the top Myanmese diplomat in Hong Kong joined a welcome ceremony at Hong Kong airport, along with family members of the rescuers, who left on their mission on March 29. The 51-strong team comprised 41 rescuers from the Fire Services Department, four Security Bureau workers, two members... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3305898/heros-welcome-hong-kong-rescuers-after-return-quake-hit-myanmar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3305898/heros-welcome-hong-kong-rescuers-after-return-quake-hit-myanmar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:09:38 +0000 At first glance, it is a happy image – hundreds of smiling faces torn from newspapers and pasted into a frame. But these are ghosts, victims of the 2023 earthquake in Turkey that claimed more than 53,000 lives. The montage was put together by an artist from the city of Antakya, the site of ancient Antioch, whose life was among the thousands upended when the 7.8-magnitude quake devastated huge areas of southern Turkey in the early hours of February 6, 2023. “I don’t know who they are but I ‘know’... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3297732/survivors-2023-earthquake-turkeys-antioch-turn-art-heal-and-celebrate-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3297732/survivors-2023-earthquake-turkeys-antioch-turn-art-heal-and-celebrate-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2025 08:15:07 +0000 A doctor who joined Hong Kong’s search and rescue efforts in Turkey following an earthquake last February has shared her experiences of working in a disaster zone in the hopes of convincing more medical practitioners to volunteer. Dr Cecilia Fan Yuen-man, who was earlier honoured for her contributions, said talking to medical workers and students in sharing sessions had also reassured potential joiners that they could count on their families for support in such difficult situations. “Our team... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3246917/hong-kong-doctor-who-joined-quake-relief-efforts-turkey-last-year-shares-her-story-hopes-others-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3246917/hong-kong-doctor-who-joined-quake-relief-efforts-turkey-last-year-shares-her-story-hopes-others-will?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jan 2024 23:30:12 +0000 A baby girl who was born under the rubble of her family home destroyed by the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria six months ago is in good health, loves her adopted family and likes to smile even to strangers. The dark-haired baby Afraa survived 10 hours under the rubble after the February 6 earthquake crushed to death her parents and four siblings in the northern Syrian town of Jinderis. When she was found, her umbilical cord was still connected to her mother. Her story captivated the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3230135/adopted-family-syrian-baby-born-under-earthquake-rubble-elated-she-turns-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3230135/adopted-family-syrian-baby-born-under-earthquake-rubble-elated-she-turns-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:25:27 +0000 Some 84 hours before a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the Alaska Peninsula on July 16, a team of researchers in China may have seen the quake coming but could not pinpoint where and when it would hit. Now they hope to broaden their research net to make more accurate quake predictions possible. Zhang Maosheng, a professor and dean at Xian Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province and a researcher for China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, received a text alert declaring an abnormal data... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229232/could-chinese-researchers-crack-code-earthquake-prediction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3229232/could-chinese-researchers-crack-code-earthquake-prediction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Aug 2023 14:00:13 +0000 Stephen Ngai Wing-sum and his medical colleagues once went without sleep for more than 48 hours and did not shower for over a week during a nine-day mission carried out by a 59-strong team from Hong Kong to help quake-stricken Turkey earlier this year. The 40-year-old nurse said the group had to often use wet wipes when temperatures rose at noon because of a shortage of clean water. “I will never forget the experience,” Ngai said. He recalled feeling exhilarated when they were given a bag of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3228375/ill-never-forget-hong-kong-health-workers-turkey-quake-rescue-mission-recall-sleepless-nights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3228375/ill-never-forget-hong-kong-health-workers-turkey-quake-rescue-mission-recall-sleepless-nights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2023 23:00:30 +0000 The Hong Kong fire services’ team sent to Turkey on an earthquake relief mission in February will ramp up its training standards to obtain international accreditation for their rescue capability in three years, authorities have said. Yiu Men-yeung, the team commander, said on Thursday the Fire Services Department’s urban search and rescue team, which sent 49 personnel to Turkey, aimed to win accreditation from a United Nations’ advisory group. “Our urban search and rescue team was founded with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3227612/hong-kongs-urban-search-and-rescue-team-sets-sights-international-accreditation-after-successful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3227612/hong-kongs-urban-search-and-rescue-team-sets-sights-international-accreditation-after-successful?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:00:37 +0000 A Hong Kong rescue team sent to earthquake-stricken Turkey to help search for survivors earlier this year has become the first recipient of a new high-level award that recognises civil servants for meritorious work, the city’s leader has revealed. The 59-strong team rescued four people and recovered six bodies in southern Turkey after a huge 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region in February, killing tens of thousands. The team, which comprised Security Bureau, Fire Services Department,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3225520/hong-kong-rescue-team-sent-turkey-quake-mission-picked-first-winner-high-level-award-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3225520/hong-kong-rescue-team-sent-turkey-quake-mission-picked-first-winner-high-level-award-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 05:48:55 +0000 In a world flooded with gastronomy lists and awards such as the Michelin Guide and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the Basque Culinary World Prize (BCWP) is an anomaly. Yes, the award is presented to chefs. But rather than basing its accolades on the merits of their cuisine or the quality of service, BCWP judges them on something more noble: the transformative power of their food in creating a positive impact on society. BCWP acknowledges that great chefs, such as Jose Andres of World Central... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3223533/humanity-commitment-and-strength-turkish-chef-whos-won-global-prize-using-food-transform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3223533/humanity-commitment-and-strength-turkish-chef-whos-won-global-prize-using-food-transform?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jun 2023 08:15:23 +0000 Mexico’s army welcomed a new search puppy on Wednesday, gifted from Turkey following the death in the line of duty of a Mexican rescue dog who had been helping to find survivors of February’s massive earthquake near the Syrian border. The three-month-old German shepherd will join Mexico’s famed canine unit, specialised in helping locate survivors in a country prone to earthquakes and other natural disasters. The black and beige furball with perky ears and outsize paws has been named “Arkadas” –... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219320/turkey-gifts-mexico-adorable-pup-after-rescue-dog-was-lost-earthquake-duty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219320/turkey-gifts-mexico-adorable-pup-after-rescue-dog-was-lost-earthquake-duty?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 May 2023 22:03:48 +0000 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday was hosting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for talks as the Kremlin seeks to mend ties between Damascus and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting follows the surprise announcement last week of a Chinese-brokered restoration of diplomatic ties between the Middle East’s major rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. Ties between Erdogan and Assad were severed after the outbreak of fighting in Syria and successful Kremlin mediation would give Putin diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3213669/putin-hosts-syrias-assad-kremlin-seeks-mend-ties-between-syria-and-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3213669/putin-hosts-syrias-assad-kremlin-seeks-mend-ties-between-syria-and-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Mar 2023 17:03:17 +0000 The death toll in Turkey from last month’s major earthquakes has risen to 48,448, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Monday, as authorities rush to set up container cities to house for the longer-term those left homeless by the disaster. The combined death toll including those killed in Syria has climbed to more than 54,000. Speaking at a news conference in Malatya, one of the provinces hit by the quakes, Soylu said the toll in Turkey included 6,660 foreign nationals, mostly Syrians,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3213395/turkey-syria-quake-turkeys-death-toll-tops-48000-nation-races-build-container-cities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3213395/turkey-syria-quake-turkeys-death-toll-tops-48000-nation-races-build-container-cities?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Mar 2023 12:25:31 +0000 Israeli warplanes struck Aleppo airport before dawn on Tuesday, causing significant damage that halted flights to and from Syria’s war- and quake-battered second city, the defence ministry said. The airport has been a major conduit for aid flights since a February 6 earthquake devastated swathes of southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria, and they too were brought to a stop, a transport ministry official said. “At exactly 2:07am (2307 GMT Monday), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3212711/israeli-attack-paralyses-syrias-aleppo-airport-disrupts-earthquake-aid-deliveries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3212711/israeli-attack-paralyses-syrias-aleppo-airport-disrupts-earthquake-aid-deliveries?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Mar 2023 13:19:29 +0000 Turkey’s bickering opposition leaders ended months of fierce debate on Monday and agreed to name the head of the main secular party as their joint candidate against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May 14 polls. A last-ditch deal aimed at averting a split of the opposition vote will see CHP chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu name the popular mayors of Istanbul and Ankara as vice-presidents should he end Erdogan’s two-decade rule. “We would have been eliminated had we split up,” Kilicdaroglu told huge... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3212586/turkey-election-opposition-unites-behind-kilicdaroglu-take-erdogan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3212586/turkey-election-opposition-unites-behind-kilicdaroglu-take-erdogan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Mar 2023 20:54:53 +0000 Saudi Arabia said on Monday it deposited US$5 billion into the Turkish central bank, likely helping Ankara firm up its long-weakening currency, the lira, after last month’s massive earthquake that struck southeast Turkey and northern Syria. The deposit provides a capstone for just how far relations have improved between the kingdom and Turkey after years of tensions between the nations, particularly after the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3212564/saudi-arabia-deposits-us5-billion-turkish-central-bank-aftermath-turkey-syria-quake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3212564/saudi-arabia-deposits-us5-billion-turkish-central-bank-aftermath-turkey-syria-quake?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:42:44 +0000 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated on Wednesday that his government still intends to hold elections in May despite an earthquake last month that devastated parts of southern Turkey. “This nation will do what is necessary on May 14, God willing,” Erdogan said in a speech to lawmakers, in an apparent reference to elections seen as representing his biggest ever political challenge. In an address to legislators of his ruling party, Erdogan chided critics of the government’s handling of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3211996/turkey-still-intends-elections-may-says-erdogan-despite-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3211996/turkey-still-intends-elections-may-says-erdogan-despite-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:56:43 +0000 A 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey on Monday, killing one person and wounding dozens of others while causing some damaged buildings to collapse, the government’s disaster agency said. The epicentre of the tremor was the Yesilyurt district in the Malatya province, which was hit by the February 6 earthquake that killed over 44,000 people in Turkey and thousands more in neighbouring Syria. “One citizen lost his life. Some 69 were injured,” Yunus Sezer, chairman of the AFAD disaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3211720/one-dead-turkey-earthquake-dozens-wounded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3211720/one-dead-turkey-earthquake-dozens-wounded?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2023 11:30:25 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. On a recent train journey, I couldn’t help but overhear two men loudly discussing a topic of irritation. It went something like this. First Man: “I really can’t stand it any more. Just when I... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3211258/how-overcome-compassion-fatigue-world-full-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3211258/how-overcome-compassion-fatigue-world-full-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Feb 2023 03:30:10 +0000 An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 has shaken the central Anatolian Turkish province of Niğde, the Kandilli earthquake monitoring centre said on Saturday. The earthquake’s epicentre was located in the district of Bor, some 350 kilometres west of the quake-ravaged Turkish-Syrian border region. Before this, at least seven tremors over magnitude 4 had been recorded since Friday evening in Turkey, including the quake-hit south, according to the Turkish disaster authority AFAD. Niğde Mayor Emrah Özdemir... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3211544/turkey-struck-new-tremors-magnitude-52-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3211544/turkey-struck-new-tremors-magnitude-52-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Feb 2023 12:03:19 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. We are writing, with a little assistance from ChatGPT, in response to the recent decision by the University of Hong Kong to temporarily ban the use of this AI-based chatbot for coursework and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3211280/why-hong-kong-universities-should-let-students-learn-chatgpt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3211280/why-hong-kong-universities-should-let-students-learn-chatgpt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:30:15 +0000 On February 6, magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 earthquakes struck southeast Turkey and neighbouring Syria, leaving an estimated one million people homeless, with the death toll at 47,000 and counting. Nations quickly rallied to help. Hong Kong sent a rescue team of 59 people, comprising 49 members from the Fire Services Department, two doctors and two nurses from the Department of Health, as well as six Security Bureau and Immigration Department staff. With the same altruistic spirit, Hong Kong bars and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3211189/hong-kong-restaurants-and-bars-raise-funds-turkey-and-syria-earthquake-relief-chef-collaborations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3211189/hong-kong-restaurants-and-bars-raise-funds-turkey-and-syria-earthquake-relief-chef-collaborations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:45:11 +0000 Six people were killed in the latest earthquake to strike the border region of Turkey and Syria, authorities reported on Tuesday, two weeks after a larger one killed more than 47,000 people and damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. Monday’s quake, this time with a magnitude of 6.4, was centred near the southern Turkish city of Antakya and was felt in Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said there had been 90 aftershocks. Six... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210900/fresh-earthquakes-strike-southern-turkey-tremors-also-felt-syria-and-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210900/fresh-earthquakes-strike-southern-turkey-tremors-also-felt-syria-and-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 19:18:03 +0000 Hero Hong Kong firefighter Leung Chi-wang on Monday relived the moment he found a Turkey earthquake survivor trapped in the rubble of what had been a block of flats. Leung said he made his way out of the wreckage and alerted paramedics to move in to assess the casualty, the first rescued by the 59-strong Hong Kong team sent on a mercy mission to the ravaged country. “I had to back out to let paramedics carry out comprehensive checks on the severity of [the survivor’s] injuries,” the acting... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210894/hong-kong-firefighter-hero-relives-miracle-turkey-earthquake-rescue-chief-executive-honours-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210894/hong-kong-firefighter-hero-relives-miracle-turkey-earthquake-rescue-chief-executive-honours-team?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:06:15 +0000 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a trip to Turkey that Washington would help Ankara “for as long as it takes” after earthquakes rocked the country two weeks ago, as authorities carried out wide-scale demolitions of damaged buildings. The United States has sent a search and rescue team to Turkey, along with medical supplies, concrete-breaking machinery and additional funding of US$85 million in humanitarian aid that also covers Syria. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210868/turkey-earthquake-more-350000-pregnant-women-dire-need-help-rescue-work-winds-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210868/turkey-earthquake-more-350000-pregnant-women-dire-need-help-rescue-work-winds-down?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 11:50:10 +0000 Turkey has ended rescue efforts in all provinces except the two hardest hit by last week’s massive quake that killed tens of thousands of people, the Turkish disaster agency said on Sunday. “In many of our provinces, search and rescue efforts have been completed. They continue in Kahramanmaras and Hatay provinces,” the agency’s chief Yunus Sezer told reporters in Ankara. While rescue operations continue in the two provinces, there have been no signs of anyone being dug from the rubble alive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210772/turkey-ends-quake-rescue-efforts-except-two-provinces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210772/turkey-ends-quake-rescue-efforts-except-two-provinces?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Feb 2023 15:03:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Turkey on Sunday for an official visit and discussions on how Washington can further assist Ankara as it grapples with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey’s southeast and neighboring Syria on February 6, killing more than 45,000 people and leaving a million-plus people homeless, with the economic cost of the disaster expected to run into billions of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3210767/top-us-diplomat-blinken-talk-aid-nordic-nato-bid-first-visit-quake-hit-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3210767/top-us-diplomat-blinken-talk-aid-nordic-nato-bid-first-visit-quake-hit-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Feb 2023 13:24:38 +0000 The group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) called Sunday for the “urgent scaling up” of earthquake aid to northwest Syria as it delivered a convoy laden with emergency assistance. Aid has been slow to reach Syria’s rebel-held areas since the February 6 quake killed a combined total of more than 44,000 people across Turkey and Syria. “An urgent increase in the volume of supplies is needed to match the scale of the humanitarian crisis,” said the French aid group. It charged that supplies “currently... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3210763/turkey-syria-quake-aid-group-medecins-sans-frontieres-makes-urgent-appeal-scale-syria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3210763/turkey-syria-quake-aid-group-medecins-sans-frontieres-makes-urgent-appeal-scale-syria?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Feb 2023 12:58:57 +0000 A 17-year-old high school student has captured Turkish hearts after he filmed a farewell message to his loved ones as he was trapped under the rubble of his home during last week’s earthquake. Taha Erdem and his family were fast asleep when a 7.8 magnitude quake hit their hometown of Adiyaman in the early hours of February 6. Taha was abruptly woken by violent tremors shaking the four-story flat building in a blue-collar neighbourhood of the central Anatolian city. Within 10 seconds, Taha, his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210734/turkey-syria-quake-turkish-teen-filmed-last-moments-quake-hit-flat-being-saved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210734/turkey-syria-quake-turkish-teen-filmed-last-moments-quake-hit-flat-being-saved?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Feb 2023 04:12:08 +0000 Newcastle paid an emotional tribute to Christian Atsu as his tearful wife and children joined a minute’s applause for the former Ghana midfielder after his death in the earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria. Former Newcastle star Atsu was caught in the 7.8-magnitude quake which killed more than 43,000 people on February 6. There were initial reports the 31-year-old had been rescued a day after the earthquake. But Atsu’s manager in Turkey, Murat Uzunmehmet, said on Saturday the player’s body... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3210718/wife-and-children-earthquake-victim-christian-atsu-join-emotional-newcastle-tribute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3210718/wife-and-children-earthquake-victim-christian-atsu-join-emotional-newcastle-tribute?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Feb 2023 19:17:13 +0000 Freezing weather, crippled infrastructure and loss of communication signals were just some of the harsh realities faced by a 59-member Hong Kong rescue team in quake-stricken Turkey during a nine-day operation. The team returned to the city late Friday night, wrapping up their life-saving mission where they pulled four survivors from the ruins. Team commander Yiu Men-yeung, deputy chief fire officer of the Fire Services Department, recounted the various challenges faced during his first... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210699/we-just-did-our-best-save-lives-hong-kong-rescue-team-recalls-obstacles-lessons-learned-turkey-quake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210699/we-just-did-our-best-save-lives-hong-kong-rescue-team-recalls-obstacles-lessons-learned-turkey-quake?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Feb 2023 10:02:07 +0000 The body of former Ghana international Christian Atsu has been found after a huge earthquake in Turkey, local media reported Saturday, quoting his manager. Atsu, 31, was caught up in a 7.8-magnitude quake that rocked Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing more than 43,000 people in both countries. There were initial reports he had been rescued a day after the quake, but these turned out to be false. His manager in Turkey, Murat Uzunmehmet, told DHA news agency on Saturday that his body had been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3210696/body-ghana-footballer-christian-atsu-found-turkey-earthquake-rubble-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3210696/body-ghana-footballer-christian-atsu-found-turkey-earthquake-rubble-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Feb 2023 08:56:46 +0000 Conspiracy theories about a US research station have resurged, with social media users falsely blaming it for the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, following debunked claims it causes weather disasters and spreads the coronavirus. Scientists have for years been refuting claims that the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Programme (HAARP), with its Alaska facility boasting 180 radio antennae, is a US government-backed programme to weaponise the atmosphere and subjugate the population. The series of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210678/turkey-syria-earthquakes-conspiracists-falsely-blame-us-research-station-temblors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210678/turkey-syria-earthquakes-conspiracists-falsely-blame-us-research-station-temblors?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Feb 2023 05:45:13 +0000 The total number of people killed in Turkey after the devastating earthquake on February 6 has hit 39,672, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu told local broadcaster CNN Türk on Friday. Several thousand more perished in neighbouring conflict-torn Syria, where the disaster response has been mired in international political wrangling and hindered by poor infrastructure. Updated figures for the dead and injured were not available for Syria, and the most recent figure of 5,900 dead was given by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210667/turkey-earthquake-death-toll-nears-40000-and-rescue-operations-still-under-way-after-11-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210667/turkey-earthquake-death-toll-nears-40000-and-rescue-operations-still-under-way-after-11-days?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 23:40:28 +0000 A Hong Kong rescue team received a hero’s welcome when they arrived in Hong Kong on Friday night after nine days in Turkey searching for survivors of a huge 7.8-magnitude earthquake. Cheering crowds arrived early at the city’s airport as the team arrived home, fresh from a similar scene in Beijing earlier the same day. Family members of the Hong Kong rescuers cried tears of joy and many handed over bouquets of flowers as they were reunited with their loved ones. A baby boy in a front carrier who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210646/hong-kong-rescue-team-receives-heros-welcome-beijing-they-return-mission-quake-struck-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210646/hong-kong-rescue-team-receives-heros-welcome-beijing-they-return-mission-quake-struck-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:55:36 +0000 International aid agencies are stepping up efforts to help millions of homeless people, many sleeping in tents, mosques, schools or cars, 11 days after a massive earthquake hit Turkey and Syria killing more than 43,000. Two people were reported to have been pulled alive from the rubble in Turkey on Thursday, but such rescues have become increasingly rare, leaving anger to smoulder as hope dies. A 17-year-old girl was extracted from the ruins of a collapsed residential block in Turkey’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210525/turkey-syria-earthquake-un-appeals-us1-billion-aid-death-toll-passes-42000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210525/turkey-syria-earthquake-un-appeals-us1-billion-aid-death-toll-passes-42000?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:45:13 +0000 Hopes of finding more people alive under earthquake debris have largely faded more than a week after massive earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria. It was heartening in recent days to see rescue teams from around the world, including from Hong Kong and mainland China, finding buried survivors well beyond the usual 72-hour survival window. Even without such compelling stories, the global community must remain focused on responding to the massive humanitarian crisis at hand and rebuilding efforts in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3210465/quake-victims-still-need-all-our-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3210465/quake-victims-still-need-all-our-help?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Feb 2023 23:30:09 +0000 Huseyin Berber’s voice was hoarse from calling for help from under the rubble of his home but he was finally freed more than a week after Turkey’s massive earthquake, defying the odds for survival and one of several remarkable stories to emerge. Doctors say people can last, even without water, for days. But there are so many variables – what injuries were sustained in a building collapse and how hot or cold is it outside – that rescuers say anything after five days is miraculous. The earthquake... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210380/turkey-syria-earthquake-huseyin-berbers-story-survival-under-rubble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210380/turkey-syria-earthquake-huseyin-berbers-story-survival-under-rubble?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:42:46 +0000 Walking in narrow passages of rubble and using their sense of smell to search for survivors while trying to keep warm in cold weather in a quake-stricken area of Turkey were some of the things two little search and rescue dogs from Hong Kong experienced in the first week of their mission. Springer spaniels Umi and Twix were put on a rescue mission last Wednesday alongside their 59 human teammates after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210312/turkey-syria-quake-hong-kong-rescue-dogs-brave-tough-conditions-find-survivors-amid-bricks-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210312/turkey-syria-quake-hong-kong-rescue-dogs-brave-tough-conditions-find-survivors-amid-bricks-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:10:07 +0000 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to press on with rescue and recovery efforts more than a week after a powerful quake ripped through his country and neighbouring Syria, with an elderly woman the latest to be pulled from the rubble. The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria has climbed over 41,000, and many survivors are enduring near-freezing winter temperatures, having been left homeless by the devastation in cities in both countries. “We will continue our work until we remove the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210273/turkey-syria-earthquake-erdogan-vows-rebuild-death-toll-passes-41000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210273/turkey-syria-earthquake-erdogan-vows-rebuild-death-toll-passes-41000?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2023 07:41:40 +0000 Resurfaced videos from 2019 show Turkey’s president boasting about granting amnesty for buildings that didn’t meet earthquake construction codes, according to local media. The videos of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are circulating widely in Turkey as the death toll from this month’s devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake surpassed 37,000 people. Erdogan is seen in the videos speaking on the campaign trail in 2019, boasting of having removed building standards-related headaches for hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210212/videos-show-turkish-president-bragging-about-builders-skirting-earthquake-construction-codes-areas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210212/videos-show-turkish-president-bragging-about-builders-skirting-earthquake-construction-codes-areas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 14:11:40 +0000 China has called for unilateral sanctions against Syria to be lifted to give children in the country “hope of survival”. Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said it was a “harsh reality” that unilateral sanctions were seriously damaging the economic foundation and development of affected countries, depriving many children of their fundamental rights and survival. Speaking at a meeting on children and armed conflict at the UN Security Council on Monday, Zhang said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3210156/un-china-calls-syria-sanctions-be-lifted-children-affected-war-and-quakes-have-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3210156/un-china-calls-syria-sanctions-be-lifted-children-affected-war-and-quakes-have-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 07:55:16 +0000 Among the rubble, hundreds of thousands of homeless people face cold and hunger as authorities in Turkey and Syria tackle the dire humanitarian disaster caused by the earthquake that has left more than 37,000 dead. As hopes of finding people alive under the debris fade more than a week after the quake struck, the focus has switched to providing food and shelter to the vast numbers of survivors. According to the Turkish government, about 1.2 million people have been housed in student residences,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210147/turkey-syria-earthquake-focus-turns-survivors-death-toll-passes-37000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210147/turkey-syria-earthquake-focus-turns-survivors-death-toll-passes-37000?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 07:28:46 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to speed up the processing of relief funding for NGOs joining earthquake rescue efforts in Turkey, while revealing the government will send more than HK$30 million (US$3.8 million) worth of supplies for the mercy mission. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday said the government had gathered goods including tents, clothing, blankets, medicine and medical supplies to send to quake-hit areas in Turkey. “The supplies will be delivered within a day after Turkish... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210137/hong-kong-send-hk30-million-worth-supplies-turkey-quake-relief-effort-city-leader-john-lee-pledges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210137/hong-kong-send-hk30-million-worth-supplies-turkey-quake-relief-effort-city-leader-john-lee-pledges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 06:36:34 +0000 The desperate search for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria entered its final hours on Monday as rescuers using sniffer dogs and thermal cameras surveyed pulverised apartment blocks for any sign of life a week after the disaster. Teams in southern Turkey’s Hatay province cheered and clapped when a 13-year-old boy identified only by his first name, Kaan, was pulled from the rubble. In Gaziantep province, rescuers, including coal miners who secured tunnels with wooden supports, found a woman... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210101/search-earthquake-survivors-enters-final-hours-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210101/search-earthquake-survivors-enters-final-hours-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Feb 2023 22:11:13 +0000 A Hong Kong team has made its fourth rescue from the rubble of buildings destroyed by the earthquake in Turkey, a week after the disaster struck. The woman was rescued in Antakya, the capital of Hatay province and one of the cities worst hit by the 7.8-magnitude quake that devastated the southeast of the country and neighbouring Syria, the Security Bureau on Monday said. A video released by the bureau showed about a dozen rescuers, including personnel from Hong Kong and Turkey, putting the woman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210010/turkey-syria-quake-hong-kong-donates-supplies-citys-covid-quarantine-camps-relief-effort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210010/turkey-syria-quake-hong-kong-donates-supplies-citys-covid-quarantine-camps-relief-effort?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Feb 2023 06:44:29 +0000 Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble a week after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria leaving at least 35,000 dead, as the UN warned the toll was set to rise far higher. A 40-year-old woman in the Turkish town of Islahiye, in Gaziantep province was the latest miracle rescue after seven days trapped under the wreckage of collapsed buildings since last Monday’s devastating quake. The woman, Sibel Kaya, was rescued after spending 170 hours beneath the rubble of a five-storey building by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210008/turkey-syria-earthquake-death-toll-rises-some-saved-rubble-after-nearly-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3210008/turkey-syria-earthquake-death-toll-rises-some-saved-rubble-after-nearly-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Feb 2023 06:25:46 +0000 The United Nations denounced Sunday a failure to get desperately needed aid to war-torn regions of Syria, while warning that the death toll of nearly 30,000 from an earthquake that also devastated Turkey could at least double. A UN convoy with supplies for northwest Syria arrived via Turkey, but the agency’s relief chief Martin Griffiths said much more was needed for millions whose homes were destroyed. “We have so far failed the people in northwest Syria. They rightly feel abandoned. Looking... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3209962/turkey-syria-quake-un-warns-aid-failure-syria-death-toll-nears-30000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3209962/turkey-syria-quake-un-warns-aid-failure-syria-death-toll-nears-30000?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Feb 2023 13:52:58 +0000 The Hong Kong rescue team sent to Turkey to help search for survivors of the devastating earthquake has vowed to press on with its efforts despite a series of aftershocks, biting cold weather and worsening security conditions. The team had enough resources to last its 59 members a week, its commander Yiu Men-yeung told an online press conference on Sunday, adding the Fire Services Department would help secure more if supplies ran out. Even though the 72-hour “golden window” for finding survivors... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209949/turkey-syria-quake-hong-kong-rescue-team-vows-keep-searching-survivors-despite-worsening-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209949/turkey-syria-quake-hong-kong-rescue-team-vows-keep-searching-survivors-despite-worsening-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Feb 2023 10:50:50 +0000