Turkey and Syria earthquake death toll climbs to over 7,900 as extreme cold hampers rescue efforts

Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, close to the quake's epicentre, the day after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on February 7.
Mesut Hancer holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak, who died in the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, close to the quake’s epicentre, the day after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on February 7. (Adem Altam/AFP/Getty Images)

Heartbreaking photos show a father in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, clutching the lifeless hand of his daughter after she was crushed under concrete in Monday’s devastating earthquake.

Mesut Hancer, sitting hunched amid the ruins, can be seen holding onto his 15-year-old child while her body remains trapped beneath the rubble.

Broken glass, destroyed furniture and twisted steel surround the family, as workers conduct a colossal rescue mission in near freezing temperatures.

(Adem Altam/AFP/Getty Images)
(Adem Altam/AFP/Getty Images)

Nearly 8,000 people have now been confirmed dead and some 40,000 others injured following Monday’s quake, according to officials in Turkey and Syria.

Survivors are still being pulled from the rubble more than 48 hours after the quake hit, crushing thousands under their homes.

The rescue of a 14-year-old boy in Kahramanmaras broadcast live on air on Tuesday offered a glimmer of hope that others will survive, but the death toll continues to climb as search teams navigate blocked roads, collapsed infrastructure and violent aftershocks.

source: cnn.com