Turkey Syria earthquake: death toll nears 41,000

The toll of the earthquake that devastated southern Turkey and northwestern Syria last Monday has reached at least 40,943 dead: That comes after this morning’s update of the number of casualties in Turkey to at least 31,643. Add to that the number of about 9,300 casualties in Syria announced yesterday by the WHO’s regional emergency manager, Rick Brennan. The official, quoted by SkyNews, said around 4,800 people had died in the country in government-controlled areas and another 4,500 in rebel-held areas.

Nazmi Tosun, the construction manager of one of the buildings destroyed in the earthquake in Kahramanmaras in south-eastern Turkey, has been arrested in Istanbul. Anadolu made the announcement, adding that the Prosecutor’s Office of Malatya, another of the quake-hit cities, has issued arrest warrants for 31 people as part of the ongoing investigation into houses collapsed in the area during the quake. More than 100 construction workers have been arrested by Ankara in the past few days.

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