SCENES OF DEVASTATION UNFOLDING RIGHT NOW IN TURKEY AND SYRIA
AFTER WHAT IS BEING CALLED ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE
TO HIT THE REGION IN A CENTURY.
>> MORE THAN 1600 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, AND THOUSANDS WERE
INJURED AFTER THE MASSIVE QUAKE STRUCK TURKEY'S GAZIANTEP
PROVINCE EARLIER MONDAY MORNING.
IN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE STILL BURIED UNDERNEATH THE BURIAL,
AND THAT NUMBER COULD RISE DRAMATICALLY.
>> WE DO NOT KNOW HOW FAR THE NUMBER OF DEAD AND INJURED WILL
RISE, AS THE REMOVAL WORKS CONTINUE WITH MANY BUILDINGS IN
THE QUAKE ZONE. OUR HOPE IS THAT WE WILL
RECOVER FROM THIS DISASTER WITH THE LEAST LOSS OF LIFE.
>> RESCUE WORKERS FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS IN
BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES. BUT EVEN AS THEY DO, MATER
SHOCKS ARE HITTING THE AREA. CNN'S SCOTT MCLAIN IS FOLLOWING
DEVELOPMENTS, HE JOINS US HERE IN LONDON WITH THE LATEST ON
THAT, AND THESE AFTERSHOCKS ARE MASSIVE, AREN'T THEY?
>> YES, THE NUMBER OF CHALLENGES HERE FOR RESCUE
WORKERS MAX JUST CONTINUES TO MULTIPLY.
THESE AFTERSHOCKS, UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE, HAD THERE
NOT BEEN A 7.8 OVERNIGHT, YOU WOULD CALL THEM MASSIVE
EARTHQUAKES ON THEIR OWN. SO YOU HAD THE 7.8, WHICH
HAPPENED AFTER 4:00 IN THE MORNING, AND THEN JUST ABOUT
TWO AND A HALF HOURS AGO OR SO, YOU HAD ANOTHER MAJOR, MAJOR
AFTERSHOCK THERE WAS A 7.5, JUST TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT,
THAT IS THE STRONGEST EARTHQUAKE, STRONGER EVEN THAN
THE LAST SUBSTANTIAL EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY, WHICH IS 1999.
THAT WAS A SEVEN POINT, FOUR AND THAT ONE KILLED 17,000
PEOPLE, LEFT HALF 1 MILLION PEOPLE HOMELESS.
IT JUST GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST AS THESE
RESCUE WORKERS ARE BATTLING NOT ONLY THE CONSTANT TREMORS AND
SMALLER EARTHQUAKES, BUT ALSO THE RISK OF MAJOR AFTERSHOCKS
LIKE THIS ONE, PLUS THE COLD WEATHER, PLUS THE SNOW.
I JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU A PIECE OF VIDEO THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN
NOT LONG AGO FOR MALATYA. THIS WAS FROM THE MOST RECENT
AFTERSHOCK THERE. THIS IS A REPORTER WITH A
TURKISH CHANNEL CALLED A NEWS, LIVE ON AIR, WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE
CLEARLY, THEY REALIZED THAT THERE IS MORE SHAKING, THEY
HEAR THE SOUNDS, AND START RUNNING.
THAT'S WHY WE PLAY THE PIECE OF VIDEO, AND I TRANSLATE WHAT THE
REPORTER SAYS. WATCH.
[SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH] [SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH]
[SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH] >> THE SOUNDS THERE MAX ARE
ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING THERE. THE REPORTER HERE IS SAYING, AS
WE ARE GOING TO THE RUBBLE, THE SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS,
THERE ARE TWO CONSECUTIVE AFTERSHOCKS IN THE LOUD NOISE
WITH THE BUILDING YOU ARE SEEN THAT WAS BROUGHT DOWN TO EARTH,
THERE'S LOTS OF DEPTHS, THIS LOCAL RESIDENT HERE IS COVERED
IN DUST. SO SOME REALLY TERRIFYING
SCENES. WE ALSO HAVE UPDATES ON THE
NUMBER OF KILLED AND INJURED, MORE THAN 1000 NOW IN TURKEY
WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED ACQUAINTED AUTHORITIES.
MORE THAN 2800 BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED.
HAVE COLLAPSED, AND SO YOU IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENED THERE,
YOU MENTIONED THAT EACH ONE OF THESE SITES WHERE WE ARE SEEING
THE PICTURES, MULTIPLY THAT BY 2000 IT 800, AND YOU CAN
IMAGINE WHAT POTENTIALLY THE DEATH TOLL IS GOING TO BE HERE,
ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS INITIAL EARTHQUAKE TOOK PLACE
OVERNIGHT. THEY'RE MORE THAN 7000 INJURED,
BUT PRESIDENT ERDOGAN MADE CLEAR EARLIER TODAY THAT THEY
SIMPLY DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY STILL BE TRAPPED
UNDERNEATH OF THE RUBBLE. OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS AID COMING
IN FROM AROUND THE WORLD, RESCUERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD,
AROUND THE COUNTRY TO TRY TO GET THERE, BUT THESE THINGS
TAKE TIME, AND WITH THESE BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES,
NOTHING CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY ENOUGH GIVEN THAT OF COURSE IT
WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE TO SURVIVE
UNDERNEATH THE RUBBLE. VERY LIKELY BADLY INJURED IN
THESE KIND OF TEMPERATURES, WHICH ARE RIGHT AROUND FREEZING,
FOR SIGNIFICANT PERIODS OF TIME, MAX.
>> WE'LL JUST SEEING THAT THE UK HAS BEEN ASKED BY THE
TURKISH GOVERNMENT FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS, AND THEY ARE
SENDING 76 PERSONNEL APPARENTLY, BUT THEY ARE PARTICULARLY
LOOKING FOR SEISMIC LISTENING DEVICES, CONCRETE CUTTING, AND
BREAKING EQUIPMENT. THIS IS THE SORT OF KIT THAT
THEY NEED IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS REALLY, DON'T THEY, AND WHERE
THEY GET THOSE PEOPLE FROM OUT UNDER THE RUBBLE.
>> THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. AND EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO MORE
BASIC THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE HEAVY MACHINERY TO TRY TO PICK
FOR SOME OF THE DEBRIS, IF IN FACT THERE IS SOMEONE TRAPPED
THAT MAYBE THEY CAN GET TO, THESE THINGS ARE READILY
AVAILABLE IN BIG CITIES LIKE GAZIANTEP, WHICH HAS THE
HIGHEST DEATH TOLL RIGHT NOW, 200 PEOPLE KILLED, OR AT LEAST
200 PEOPLE KILLED I SHOULD SAY, BUT ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS THAT
A LOT OF THIS EQUIPMENT PERHAPS IS NOT FOUND AS READILY
AVAILABLE IN SOME OF THESE SMALLER TOWNS AND VILLAGES
CLOSER TO THE EPICENTER, WHICH IS WHERE THE SEARCH AND RESCUE
EFFORTS ARE MUCH MORE RUDIMENTARY THAN THEY ARE IN
THE BIG CITIES. HOPEFULLY A LOT OF THESE TOWNS
OR VILLAGES DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF HIGH-RISES THAT WE HAVE IN
SOME OF THE BIGGER CITIES, BUT REMEMBER, 1999 WAS A REAL WAKE
UP CALL FOR TURKEY, AND THAT IS WHEN THEY STARTED TO REALLY GET
SMART ON BUILDING CODES AND MAKE SURE THAT ANY NEW BUILDS
WERE ACCORDING TO EARTHQUAKE PROOFING STANDARDS, BUT IN THE
SMALLER TOWNS AND VILLAGES, WHERE YOU HAVE OLDER BUILDINGS,
PERHAPS NOT UP TO THE SAME KIND OF CODES, THAT IS WHERE THERE'S
PLENTY OF CONCERN THAT THE DEATH TOLL COULD BE EVEN HIGHER,
AND WE JUST SIMPLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT YET, BECAUSE THE
MOBILE CONNECTIVITY OUT THERE IT'S NOT GREAT AT THE MOMENT,
MAX. >> OKAY SCOTT, THANK YOU.
AND SYRIA, OFFICIALS SAID AT LEAST 592 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN
THE QUAKE. SYRIA STATE NEWS AGENCY SAYS
MOST OF THE DAMAGE AND DEATHS WERE IN AND AROUND ALEPPO NEAR
SYRIA'S NORTHERN BORDER WITH TURKEY.
THERE ARE ALSO CASUALTIES REPORTED IN OPPOSITION HELD
TERRITORY IN SYRIA'S NORTHWEST. RESCUE CREWS ACROSS THE REGION
ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO SEARCH OR REACH THOSE STUCK
UNDER THE RUBBLE OF FALLEN BUILDINGS.
EARLIER, THEY MAKE YOU PULL THIS YOUNG BOY OUT FROM THE
RUBBLE IN THE CITY OF IDLIB. SALMA HAS BEEN MODELED --
MONITORING ALL OF THE SYRIAN MOVEMENTS.
SADLY, THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE, GROUPS LIKE THE WHITE HOUSE
KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THESE SITUATIONS.
>> THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY CATASTROPHIC EVENT FOR A
COUNTRY THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DEVASTATED BY MORE THAN A
DECADE OF WAR, MAX. YOUR FROM A COLLEAGUE SCOTT
ABOUT HOW TURKISH AUTHORITIES HAVE REALLY BEEN PREPARING FOR
A HUGE EARTHQUAKE MOUNT FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES.
THEY ARE TRYING TO BUILD UP BILLING CODES, THEY'RE TRYING
TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE.
IN SYRIA, THE EXACT OPPOSITE HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
THERE'S BEEN A CIVIL WAR THAT IS LITERALLY RATTLED THE
COUNTRY, DESTROYED ITS INFRASTRUCTURE, TARGETED
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS. AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT
THE CIVIL CONFLICT IS VERY MUCH PLAYING OUT HERE ON THE GROUND
AS THIS EARTHQUAKE HAPPENS IN ITS AFTERMATH, YOU HAVE TWO
DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES ON THE GROUND.
YOU HAVE THE REGIME CONTROLLED AREAS, A GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED
AREAS, THEY RECEIVING HELP OF COURSE FROM THE, MASKS AND
REBEL HELD AREAS NORTH LIKE PLACES LIKE IDLIB, WHERE THEY
ARE ENTIRELY RELIANT ON REBEL FORCES PROVIDING HELP,
VOLUNTEERS LIKE THE WHITE HELMETS TO PULL PEOPLE OUT FROM
UNDER THE RUBBLE, BUT THESE VOLUNTEERS, MASKS, THEY
THEMSELVES NEED HELP. ONE OF THEM MADE IN APPEAL, AS
WHITE HOME AND RESCUE WORKERS WERE TRYING TO PULL PEOPLE OUT
OF THE RUBBLE. TAKE A LISTEN.
>> VERY DIFFICULT TEST FOR US, WE NEED HELP, WE NEED THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP US TO SUPPORT
US. RIGHT NOW, IT IS A DISASTER.
WE HELP FROM EVERYONE TO SAVE OUR PEOPLE.
>> YOU CAN HEAR THE EMOTION IN HIS VOICE THERE, MAX.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY A DESPERATE AND DEVASTATING SITUATION FOR A
SYRIAN COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN TRAUMATIZE, AS I MENTIONED, BY
THIS CONFLICT. MANY PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP AND
WONDERING IF IT WAS WARPLANES WHEN IT REALLY WAS AN
EARTHQUAKE, AND I HAVE MORE AFTERSHOCKS COMING FOR THE
TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN LIVING IN THESE AREAS WITH VERY LITTLE
RESOURCES, VERY LITTLE HELP, AND WE HAVE IMAGES TO SHOW YOU
OF THE HOSPITALS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMED.
WE SAW PICTURES ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF THE DEAD LITERALLY LYING ON
THE FLOOR OF HOSPITALS LEADING OUT UNTREATED BECAUSE THERE IS
NO CARE TO GIVE THEM. BODY BAGS PILING UP AGAIN IN
THESE CLINICS. AND HERE THERE AGAIN FROM MY
COLLEAGUE SCOTT ABOUT HOW THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS
ALREADY OFFERING HELP TO TURKEY, ONLY TRYING TO BRING THE
EQUIPMENT THEY NEED. HE WILL NOT BE THE SAME CASE
FOR SYRIA. THERE IS SIMPLY NOT THE ACCESS
THERE. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, DAMASCUS,
GOVERNMENT IS SANCTIONED BY THE WEST BECAUSE OF ITS INVOLVEMENT
IN THIS CONFLICT. SO THERE WILL BE NO DIRECT LINE
OF COMMUNICATION, THERE WILL BE NOBODY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
PICKING UP THE PHONE AND ASKING PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD WHAT
TO DO. THIS WILL VERY MUCH BE
DEPENDENT ON THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE, RELYING ON THEMSELVES IN
THESE AFTERSHOCKS COMING ONE AFTER ANOTHER IN THIS ALREADY
DEVASTATED AREA, AND EVEN NORTH OF THAT BORDER, INSIDE TURKEY,
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF SYRIAN REFUGEES LIVING
THEIR. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THEIR
SAFE SPACE, MAX, AND THAT ABSOLUTELY IS DEVASTATED NOW.