Turkey-Syria quake death toll passes 5,000

Scientists explain why this earthquake was so devastating

Hello Rescuers are in a race against time in Turkey and Syria, Ukraine reports record Russian deaths, and Biden faces hostile lawmakers in his State of the Union speech   by Linda Noakes   Earthquake in Turkey and Syria  A woman sits amidst rubble in Gaziantep, Turkey, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem  Rescuers struggled to dig people out of the rubble of collapsed buildings in a "race against time" as the death toll from an earthquake across a wide area of Turkey and Syria passed 5,000.   The magnitude 7.8 quake - the deadliest in Turkey since 1999 - hit early yesterday and was followed by a second hours later. Here is what scientists said happened beneath the earth's surface and what to expect in the aftermath.   Desperate screams for help could be heard from those trapped in collapsed buildings in the Mediterranean coastal province of Hatay where people tried to keep warm around bonfires in cold rainy weather. Hatay, which borders northwest Syria, is the worst-hit province in Turkey with at least 872 people killed.   The earthquake aftermath looked painfully familiar for Syrian families and rescuers worn down by nearly 12 years of bombardment and displacement. Air strikes and shelling have already traumatized the population and weakened the foundations of many buildings.   The flow of critical U.N. aid from Turkey to northwest Syria has temporarily halted due to damage to roads and other logistical issues.   Reuters photographers are on the scene capturing the earthquake aftermath. See a slideshow of their images here.   In Other News Members of the armed forces of Ukraine fire a howitzer near Bahmut, in Donetsk region, February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Marko Djurica  Ukraine said the last 24 hours were the deadliest of the war so far for Russian troops, as Moscow hurls tens of thousands of freshly mobilized soldiers and mercenaries into relentless winter assaults in the east. 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North Korea stole more cryptocurrency assets in 2022 than in any other year and targeted the networks of foreign aerospace and defense companies, according to a currently confidential United Nations report seen by Reuters. Read our weekly analysis of the wild world of cryptocurrencies. And sign up here for Reuters Crypto Wire, our weekly newsletter on digital assets.   And Finally Baby olive ridley sea turtles are gathered in a basin minutes after being born at a hatchery in San Juan, La Union, Philippines, January 12, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez  Love of sea turtles turns poachers into protectors EV batteries getting second life on California power grid Video: How Switzerland's new solar dam works We think you may like this: Reuters Auto File From Shanghai to Detroit to Munich, a look at the fast-paced world of automotive technology. Subscribe Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. 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