Rescuers in Turkiye and Syria braved freezing darkness, aftershocks and collapsing buildings on Tuesday, as they dug for survivors buried by a string of earthquakes that killed at least 5,000 people.

Disaster agencies said several thousand buildings were flattened in cities across a vast border region — pouring misery on an area already plagued by war, insurgency, refugee crises and a recent cholera outbreak.

Through the night, survivors used their bare hands to pick over the twisted ruins of multi-storey apartment blocks — trying to save family, friends and anyone else sleeping inside when the first massive 7.8-magnitude quake struck early on Monday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that up to 23 million people could be affected while also promising long-term assistance.

Header image: Police officer Zekeriya Yildiz hugs his daughter after they saved her from the rubble in Hatay on February 6, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s south-east. — AFP