Turkey quake: 'It's a race against time'
Rescuers are racing against the clock with several factors in their way now as the death toll in Turkey and in neighbouring northwest Syria rose to more than 4,300.
"It's a race against time," a critical care expert told BBC.
Dr Richard Edward Moon of Duke University said the lack of water and oxygen are critical barriers to survival.
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"That's urine, exhale, water vapour and perspiration if there is any. At the point where eight or so litres has been lost, that's when a person becomes critically ill," said Dr Moon, who was speaking on BBC Newsday.
Furthermore, Freezing winter weather in Turkey and Syria hampered search efforts for survivors.
An average adult can tolerate temperatures as low as about 21C indefinitely. But when it gets colder, the body loses its ability to maintain heat.
"At that point, the body temperature essentially follows the temperature of the environment. And the rate at which that may occur would depend on the insulation that the person may have, or how much shelter underground they may have. But ultimately, many of these unfortunate people may succumb to hypothermia," Dr Moon said.
"My heart goes out to those who are trapped, and also to the workers who are doing their best to get them out of trouble."
Meanwhile, poor internet connections and damaged roads between some of the worst-hit cities in Turkey's south, homes to millions of people, hindered efforts to assess and address the impact.
The magnitude 7.8 quake rippled through both countries early on Monday, toppling entire apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals, and leaving thousands more people injured or homeless.
The earthquake, which was followed by a series of aftershocks, was the biggest recorded worldwide by the US Geological Survey since a tremor in the remote South Atlantic in August 2021.
