Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced this evening that the earthquakes had resulted in the death of at least 5,434 people and 31,777 were injured. The latest tally by the Turkish authorities brings the total number of victims in Turkey and Syria to 7,266.

Under adverse conditions – due to the aftershocks and the cold – rescue teams are racing against time to find survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. It is estimated that hundreds of people remain trapped in the rubble and concern about their fate is mounting as time passes.