Turkey-Syria earthquake updates: Death toll climbs to over 41,000

The Feb. 6 quake was centered in Turkey's southeastern Kahramanmaras province.

ByMelissa Gaffney, Morgan Winsor, Emily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, Nadine El-Bawab, and Kevin Shalvey
Last Updated: February 15, 2023, 8:35 AM EST

More than 41,000 people are dead after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb. 6, according to Turkish and Syrian officials.

The pre-dawn quake was centered in the town of Pazarcik in Turkey's southeastern Kahramanmaras province and was followed by several powerful aftershocks. Thousands of buildings were toppled on both sides of the border, and the death toll continued to rise as rescue workers searched for survivors in the massive piles of rubble.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook central Turkey early Monday and was followed by a strong aftershock.
Associated Press Staff/AP

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Here's how the new is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 06, 2023, 2:50 PM EST

Harrowing photo shows rescue efforts in Turkey

A harrowing photo captured the moment rescue workers carried a young girl, draped in blankets, away from a demolished building in Turkey.

Rescuers carry a girl from a collapsed building following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023.
Sertac Kayar/Reuters

Feb 06, 2023, 1:28 PM EST

Turkey declares 7 days of mourning

Turkey has declared a seven-day mourning period in the wake of the devastating quake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

“Our flag will be hoisted at half-mast until sunset on Sunday, February 12, 2023, in all our country and foreign representations,” Erdogan said.

A man walks among rubble as he searches for people in a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023.
Khalil Hamra/AP

More than 3,400 buildings in Turkey have been destroyed and over 11,000 people are hurt, according to Turkish officials.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Feb 06, 2023, 1:19 PM EST

US deploying 2 search and rescue teams

The U.S. is deploying two 79-person urban search and rescue teams to Turkey, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

Romanian rescue worker pets his sniffing rescue dog during a briefing before being deployed to Southern Turkey to help local authorities in their rescue missions after an earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, in Bucharest, Romania, Feb 6, 2023.
ROBERT GHEMENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterst

PHOTO: This aerial view shows residents, aided by heavy equipment, searching for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings following an earthquake in the village of Besnia near the twon of Harim, Idlib province, Syria, Feb. 6, 2022.
This aerial view shows residents, aided by heavy equipment, searching for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings following an earthquake in the village of Besnia near the twon of Harim, in Idlib province, Syria, Feb. 6, 2022.
Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images

"The president has authorized an immediate U.S. response. So right now, in addition to personnel currently on the ground, we are in the process of deploying additional teams, including two 79-person urban search and rescue teams, to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and to help address the needs of all those who have been hurt or displaced by the earthquake,” Kirby said.

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Feb 06, 2023, 12:40 PM EST

Death toll nears 2,500

At least 2,494 people have died in Turkey and Syria.

A man looks on at search and rescue operations conducted in the rubble of a collasped building, in Diyarbakir, Feb. 6, 2023, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country's south-east.
Ilyas Akengin/AFP via Getty Images

The death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,651 across 10 Turkish provinces, according to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency.

In Syria, at least 843 people have been killed in three cities, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.

PHOTO: This aerial view shows residents searching for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings following an earthquake in the village of Besnia near the twon of Harim, in Syria's Idlib province on the border with Turkey, Feb. 6, 2022
Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images