Turkey-Syria earthquake updates: Death toll climbs to over 41,000
The Feb. 6 quake was centered in Turkey's southeastern Kahramanmaras province.
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.
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Professional soccer player among the injured
Christian Atsu, a professional soccer player for the Turkish team Hatayspor, was among the more than 8,000 people rescued from the rubble in Turkey, according to his team.
Atsu was injured in the quake. The sporting director for Atsu’s team remains under the rubble, according to a team vice president.
Atsu was on Ghana's 2014 World Cup team and also played for Newcastle United in the English Premier League.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
150,000 people left homeless in Turkey
At least 150,000 people in Turkey have been left homeless due to Monday’s deadly earthquake and aftershocks, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
23 million people affected in Turkey, Syria
Some 23 million people in Turkey and Syria have been affected by Monday’s massive earthquake and powerful aftershocks, according to Turkish and Syrian authorities.
About 13.5 million of them are in Turkey, according to Turkish Minister of of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by snow and freezing temperatures in the 10 affected Turkish provinces, Kurum said during a press conference Tuesday in the city of Gaziantep, near the quake’s epicenter.
-ABC News’ Nasser Atta, Engin Bas and Joe Simonetti
Turkey declares 3-month state of emergency
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared a disaster zone in the 10 southeastern provinces affected by the devastating earthquakes, imposing a state of emergency in the region for at least three months.
Erdogan said 70 countries have offered to help with the search and rescue operations in Turkey and that his government plans to open up hotels in the southwestern resort city of Antalya to temporarily house people impacted by the disaster.
-ABC News’ Angus Hines
UNICEF warns of dire situation for children in Turkey, Syria
One week after a devastating earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, millions of children remain in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, according to a report from UNICEF.
Roughly 4.6 million children are living in quake affected areas in Turkey and another 2.5 million children are living in the affected areas of Syria, the agency said.
UNICEF officials said the number of children killed and injured during the quakes hasn't been confirmed but is "likely to be in the many thousands."
The agency said there hundreds of thousands of families who lost their homes, and many are left in the cold with little infrastructure support.
"We must do everything in our power to ensure that everyone who survived this catastrophe receives life-saving support, including safe water, sanitation, critical nutrition and health supplies, and support for children's mental health. Not only now, but over the long term," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.
-ABC News' William Gretsky