Death toll in Turkey-Syria earthquake surpasses 23,000

The total death toll in Turkey and Syria surpassed 23,000 on Friday, according to officials, reported CNN.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said at least 20,213 people were killed and 80,052 injured in the earthquake that struck 10 provinces in Turkey this week, according to Turkey's state media Anadolu.

He said citizens rescued from the wreckage have been transferred to provinces outside of earthquake-struck regions.

Digital photos of those whose identities are unknown are being uploaded to "special software for matching," Koca said.

"I hope that we will reach the identity information of most of the people," he added.

Meanwhile, at least 2,166 people were killed in opposition-held northwest Syria by the major earthquake, Syrian White Helmets have said.

The toll in the government-held areas also has risen to 1,387 deaths and 2,326 injured, the state media reported on Thursday citing Syria's health ministry.

This brings the total death toll in Syria to 3,553.

Rescue workers are still racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble. Some successful rescues have occurred in Turkey, but an aid group said the hope is fading in parts of Syria.

The delivery of urgent supplies to impacted rebel-held areas of northwest Syria has been complicated amid a long-running civil war. The Syrian government approved sending aid to those territories Friday, but did not provide a timeline.

Survivors, many of whom are homeless, could face "a secondary disaster" as cold and snow lead to "worsening and horrific conditions," WHO said.

The delivery of urgent supplies to quake-hit areas of northern Syria has been complicated by a long-running civil war between opposition forces and the Syrian government, led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of killing his own people.

Two UN convoys carrying aid have entered the rebel-held northwest through the only authorized border crossing in Turkey, while Assad's government has received planeloads of aid from countries around the world.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said on Wednesday that any aid Syria receives must go through the capital Damascus.

"The Syrian state is ready to allow aid to enter into all regions, provided that it does not reach terrorist armed groups," he said.

The Syrian government has approved sending aid into rebel-held territory in the northwest of the country, a statement said Friday, but officials provided no specific timeline.

Syrian officials have repeatedly said they are "ready" to send help to the territories, but no aid from the government has reportedly entered the rebel-held areas since the earthquake on Monday.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said more than 141,000 rescue personnel are working on the ground in 10 earthquake-struck provinces in Turkey.

"We have more than 141,000 personnel, including foreign teams, working on the ground in 10 provinces. The Disaster Management Agency and other institutions are offering tents, containers, and prefabricated buildings, so that they can meet the needs quickly," he said during a speech in the city of Malatya.

Erdogan said that Turkish institutions and organizations are providing hot meals to relief teams for the survivors of the earthquake through mobile kitchens and soup kitchens.

( With inputs from ANI )