The death toll is rising following Monday's devastating earthquakes in areas between Turkey and Syria. According to official data, they are already more than 8,100 people. The injured are tens of thousands.

Large-scale search operations for survivors are underway in Turkey and Syria following the disaster earlier this week.

The number of dead in Turkey rose to nearly 5,900 people, Vice President Fuat Oktay announced. According to him, more than 34,000 were injured. Tens of thousands are homeless. More than 5,700 buildings collapsed as a result of the 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes. About 8 thousand people were saved.

The situation in Kahramanmaras, Pazarcık and Hatay is extremely difficult, with many collapsed buildings from the earthquakes. There is no electricity or water. The asphalt on the roads is cracked and wrinkled after the tremors. Only equipment and ambulances move on the highway between Adana and Gaziantep. On the very first day, a blood donation campaign for the victims began.

In neighboring Syria, 2,270 people have died, according to information from the Ministry of Health and the "White Helmets" organization, which provide data for government- and opposition-controlled areas, respectively.

Local authorities in Aleppo said Syrian rescuers found 92 survivors in one day under the collapsed buildings, all in need of medical attention.

Many people do not dare to return to their homes, even though they have withstood the disaster. The BBC sums up the choice of the survivors - between danger at home and freezing outside.

Over 120 temporary accommodation centers have been set up as many residents of the city, especially in the old part, have been left homeless by the disaster. The tremors damaged more than 3,000 buildings.

Two Bulgarians are being sought after the disaster. A Bulgarian with dual citizenship was initially reported missing in the town of Iskenderun. The second report submitted to our foreign ministry is about a Bulgarian who was in Antakya at the time of the earthquake.

12,000 Turkish rescuers and 9,000 soldiers are involved in the rescue operations.

Help also came from 70 countries, including Bulgaria.

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