Earthquake kills more than 4,300 in Turkiye, Syria as rescuers continue desperate search for survivors

Police officer Zekeriya Yildiz hugs his daughter after they saved her from the rubble in Hatay on February 6, 2023, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country's south-east. A major 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, killing more than 3,000 people and flattening thousands of buildings as rescuers dug with bare hands for survivors. - AFP

HATAY, Turkey, Feb 7, 2023 (AFP): Rescuers in Turkiye and Syria dug with their bare hands through the freezing night Tuesday hunting for survivors among the rubble of thousands of buildings felled in a series of violent earthquakes.

The confirmed death toll across the two countries has soared above 4,300 after a swarm of strong tremors near the Turkey-Syria border -- the largest of which measured at a massive 7.8-magnitude.