The death toll from the powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck eastern Turkey and northern Syria on October 23rd has surpassed the 7,700 mark.
In Turkey, the death toll has reached 4,858, with 2,018 injured. In Syria, 2,841 people have been killed and 6,680 injured. Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless by the disaster.
The earthquake was centered in the town of Van in eastern Turkey, close to the Syrian border. Hundreds of aftershocks have followed, some of them as strong as magnitude 5.3.
In both countries, rescue teams are working tirelessly to search for survivors beneath the rubble. Many of those who were trapped were children.
The international community has pledged to help both countries in their recovery efforts, but much work remains to be done.