Turkiye-Syria quake death toll passes 40,000 mark

ANAKYA - The worst natural disaster in a century -- that's what the World Health Organization has called the devastating earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria.

The combined death toll between the two countries has passed 40,000 and continues to climb.

Over 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble,

READ: Battle to save lives in field hospital after Türkiye quake

International humanitarian aid organisations have been told to wrap up their search and rescue operations.

Last week's 7.8-magnitude tremor razed entire towns and cities across the southeast of the country and parts of Syria.

Rescuers brave ceaseless aftershocks when they burrow their way into the rubble in search for signs of life.

READ: Focus turns to survivors as Türkiye-Syria quake toll passes 35,000

Several more people were pullout out alive on Tuesday -- more than 200 hours after the initial jolt.

But rescuers have been forced to concede defeat at numerous sites.

There is simply too much rubble and not enough resources to drill through tons upon tons of concrete.

- Additional reporting AFP