'The smell of death is their only guide': Turkey-Syria Quake death toll tops 16,000

Over 16,000 people have been killed as a result of an earthquake in Turkey and Syria, as rescue workers in affected areas rely on the smell of dead bodies to find more victims.

Rescue workers in Kahramanmaraş reported to international media that they could smell dead bodies as they sifted through mounds of the wreckage caused by Monday’s earthquake and its aftershocks, with many buildings reduced to rubble.

Turkey’s disaster organisation said 12,873 people have died in Turkey while health officials in Syria said 1,262 individuals have died in “government-controlled regions.”

At least 1,900 people have been killed in opposition-held areas of Syria, according to the White Helmets rescue organisation.

However, University College London’s Disaster and Health Professor, Ilan Kelman, said to international media that “more than 90% of earthquake survivors are rescued within the first three days.”

It has been three days since the first earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, which means the “critical 72 hours have passed.”

Rescuers now have little hope of finding survivors alive. In reality, rescuers expect that the 16,000 figure will change dramatically depending on the weather, aftershocks, and how quickly new rescue workers and equipment can be sent.

The same sentiment was shared with Maltese rescuers assisting Turkey’s earthquake victims who have been working day and night but are yet to find a survivor.

“As time passes, the hope that we may find people alive diminishes, because it is very cold here,” CPD assistant rescue officer Jonathan Callus told Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri via video call on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports say the first relief convoy was on its way to northwestern Syria, near the Turkish border. 

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Hatay province, where over 3,300 people perished, and met survivors who are now living in tents at the town's stadium. 

Residents have criticised the government's reaction, claiming a lack of equipment, knowledge, and assistance to rescue people trapped, even though they could hear calls for aid. 

He pledged that “we will never let our citizens stay on the street” and promised financial aid and compensation for repairs.