Anguish and scuffles as rescuers struggle to reach Turkey quake victims

Rescuers carry a woman after she was evacuated from under a collapsed building following an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

ANTAKYA/ADANA, Turkey (Reuters) -Rescue workers in quake-devastated Turkey and northern Syria struggled on Tuesday to reach some of the worst-hit areas, held back by destroyed roads, poor weather and a lack of resources and heavy equipment and confronted by angry survivors.

Turkish authorities say more than 12,000 search and rescue personnel and 9,000 troops are working in the affected areas. President Tayyip Erdogan called a state of emergency on Tuesday to bolster the responses.