Iranian, Armenian Emergency Teams Assist in Quake Rescue Efforts in Syria's Aleppo (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Emergency teams from Iran and Armenia have arrived in the Syrian city of Aleppo to help search for earthquake victims among the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The rescuers conducted an assessment of the situation at four locations, with search operations continuing at one location in multiple shifts. Canine teams with specially trained rescue dogs are also participating.
Meanwhile, the Red Crescent Society of Iran announced that it was collecting donations for the affected areas and provided account information for cash donations.
The power of the Monday earthquakes, which lasted 65 and 45 seconds, was equivalent to 500 atomic explosions, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. The earthquakes were followed by over 2,000 aftershocks, which continue.
The death toll from the earthquakes has reached 24,596, with 21,043 fatalities reported in Turkey and 3,553 in Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the disaster as "the earthquake of the century" that "was felt in an area of almost a thousand kilometers".
The magnitude of the two earthquakes has been put at 7.7 and 7.6, respectively. Fitch credit rating agency earlier estimated the damage suffered by Turkey from the disaster at around $4 billion.
