Turkey and Syria earthquake death toll surpasses 20,000

More than 20,000 people are now confirmed to have died in the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday exceeding that of the devastating İzmit quake in 1999.

The death toll from the earthquake has now risen above 20,000, after Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency body published its latest update on the amount of people who have died.

AFAD said the death toll in Turkey is now 17,134, Reuters reports and 3,317 in Syria, bringing the overall total to 20,411.

Experts have said the casualty figures are expected to continue to rise in the coming days.

Both countries were hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that reduced buildings to rubble and separated families.

The crucial 72-hour window - in which people are most likely to be found alive - has now passed, but one rescuer said there is still a little hope of finding further survivors.