Turkey Earthquake: Death toll crosses 33,000; UN expects number to top 50,000

The death toll from two massive earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria has climbed above 33,000 as rescue workers continue to dig through rubble for survivors and victims. Turkey arrested 48 people for looting, state media said, while two massive warships were deployed to the south of the country to serve as floating hospitals to treat the wounded.

The impact of last week's earthquake on Turkey's domestic product (GDP) growth is unlikely to be as significant as after the 1999 earthquake, IMF Managing Director Mahmoud Mohieldin told reporters on the sidelines of the Arab Fiscal Forum on Sunday. Mohieldin added that after an initial impact over the next few months, public and private sector investments in recovery could support GDP growth in the future.

Turkey vowed on Sunday to thoroughly investigate anyone suspected of being responsible for the collapse of buildings in the devastating earthquakes nearly a week ago, and has already ordered the arrest of 113 suspects. Vice President Fuat Oktay said overnight that 131 suspects have so far been identified as responsible for the collapse of some of the thousands of buildings leveled to the ground in 10 provinces hit by the tremors early last Monday. "Detention orders have been issued for 113 of them," Oktay told reporters at a briefing at the disaster management coordination center in Ankara.

The seventh flight of Operation Dost reached earthquake-stricken Syria on Sunday with more than 23 tons of relief material, which was received by Deputy Minister of Local Government and Environment Moutaz Douaji at Damascus Airport. "The seventh flight of #OperationDost arrived in Syria with more than 23 tons of relief supplies, including generators, solar lamps, emergency and critical care drugs and disaster relief supplies. Received at Damascus Airport by Deputy Minister of Local Government and Environment Moutaz Douaji," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.