Death toll rises above 12,000 in Turkey-Syria quake as rescue operations continue

Officials and medics said 8,574 people had died in Turkey and 2,662 in Syria from Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor

The death toll from a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria climbed above 12,000 on Wednesday, as rescuers raced to save survivors trapped under debris in freezing weather.

Officials and medics said 9,057 people had died in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria from Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the total to 12,049.

Nearly 50,000 people were also injured in Turkey and another 5,000 in Syria, officials and rescuers on both sides said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave an update on the casualty figures during a visit to Kahramanmaras, a southern Turkish city at the epicentre of the initial quake.

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Television images showed him hugging a weeping, elderly woman and walking through a large crowd towards a Red Crescent humanitarian relief tent.

Facing a tough May 14 re-election, Erdogan pledged to rebuild the damaged regions within a year.

He also appeared to push back against criticism that the government's response to Turkey's worst disaster in decades has been slow.

"Initially there were issues at airports and on the roads, but today things are getting easier and tomorrow it will be easier still," he said in televised remarks.

"We have mobilised all our resources," he added. "The state is doing its job."