The death count in the massive earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria last week, has topped 33,000, as Turkish authorities began legal action against builders for the building collapses and deployed several measures in a bid to maintain order across the disaster zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sunday, rescue workers continued to pull more survivors from under the rubble, however, the chances of finding more survivors are dwindling each passing since the disaster hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities confirmed that at least 33,000 people are confirmed dead across both countries in what is described as the deadliest quake to strike Turkey since 1939, even as the death count is expected to rise over the coming days as bodies are pulled from the debris. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to reports, business owners in Antakya in southern Turkey\u2014one of the worst hit cities\u2014emptied their shops on Sunday to secure their merchandise from being robbed by looters who are roaming the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Reuters report quoting residents and aid workers from other cities cited worsening security conditions, with widespread accounts of businesses and collapsed homes being robbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Tayyip Erdogan, who has faced backlash over his government\u2019s response to the disaster, has assured that authorities will deal firmly with looters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In militant-held northwest Syria\u2014one of the hardest hit areas by the quake\u2014thousands are once again homeless in the war-torn nation as the region has received meagre aid compared to government-held areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths in a tweet said that \u201cwe have failed\u201d the people in north-west Syria and that they feel abandoned, adding that he was focused on addressing that swiftly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Miracles-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearly a week after the disaster, survivors miraculously clinging to life under the rubble of buildings that became tombs for thousands, were found by rescue workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 54-year-old Malik Milandi of Syria, was rescued by a team of Chinese rescuers and Turkish firefighters after he survived 156 hours under the rubble in Antakya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A father and daughter, a toddler and a 10-year-old girl were among other survivors pulled from the ruins of collapsed buildings Sunday, but such scenes were becoming rare as the number of dead climbed relentlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the main road into the city the few buildings left standing had large cracks or caved-in facades. Traffic occasionally halted as rescuers called for silence to detect signs of remaining life under the ruins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Crackdown against builders-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The massive 7.8 magnitude tremor has put sharp focus on the quality of building in Turkey and forced the government to take action against the culprits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said 131 suspects had so far been identified as responsible for the collapse of some of the thousands of buildings flattened in the 10 affected provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oktay said that this process will be followed by the government meticulously until the necessary judicial process is concluded, especially for buildings that suffered heavy damage and buildings that caused deaths and injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Survivors and opposition politicians have accused the Erdogan regime of slow and inadequate relief efforts early on, and critics have questioned why the army, which played a key role after a 1999 earthquake, was not brought in sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Also<\/strong>: US asks its citizens to depart Russia immediately or risk harassment, arrest<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Erdogan has acknowledged problems, such as the challenge of delivering aid despite damaged transport links, but said the situation had been brought under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Thursday, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus left for Syria to oversee aid efforts as bitter cold hampered the search of thousands of flattened buildings and threatened the lives of many quake victims who are without shelter and drinking water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The quake ranks as the world’s sixth deadliest natural disaster this century, its death toll exceeding the 31,000 from a quake in neighbouring Iran in 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The calamity has killed 29,605 people in Turkey and more than 3,500 in Syria, where tolls have not been updated for two days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turkey said about 80,000 people were in hospital, and more than 1 million in temporary shelters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turkey is in one of the world\u2019s most active seismic zones in the world. A 7.8-magnitude tremor in 1939 killed over 33,000 people in the eastern Erzincan province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n