
-
PSG eye becoming France's first 'Invincibles'
-
Late birdie burst lifts Ryder to Texas Open lead
-
Five potential Grand National fairytale endings
-
Trump purges national security team after meeting conspiracist
-
More work for McIlroy even with two wins before Masters
-
Trump hopeful of 'great' PGA-LIV golf merger
-
No.1 Scheffler goes for third Masters crown in four years
-
Where Trump's tariffs could hurt Americans' wallets
-
Trump says 'very close to a deal' on TikTok
-
Trump tariffs on Mexico: the good, the bad, the unknown
-
Postecoglou denies taunting Spurs fans in Chelsea defeat
-
Oscar-winning Palestinian director speaks at UN on Israeli settlements
-
With tariff war, Trump also reshapes how US treats allies
-
Fernandez fires Chelsea into fourth as pressure mounts on Postecoglou
-
South Korea court to decide impeached president's fate
-
Penguin memes take flight after Trump tariffs remote island
-
E.T., no home: Original model of movie alien doesn't sell at auction
-
Italy's Brignone has surgery on broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Trump defiant as tariffs send world markets into panic
-
City officials vote to repair roof on home of MLB Rays
-
Rockets forward Brooks gets one-game NBA ban for technicals
-
Pentagon watchdog to probe defense chief over Signal chat row
-
US tariffs could push up inflation, slow growth: Fed official
-
New Bruce Springsteen music set for June 27 release
-
Tom Cruise pays tribute to Val Kilmer
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's tariffs list
-
Zuckerberg repeats Trump visits in bid to settle antitrust case
-
US fencer disqualified for not facing transgender rival
-
'Everyone worried' by Trump tariffs in France's champagne region
-
Italy's Brignone suffers broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Iyer blitz powers Kolkata to big IPL win over Hyderabad
-
Russian soprano Netrebko to return to London's Royal Opera House
-
French creche worker gets 25 years for killing baby with drain cleaner
-
UK avoids worst US tariffs post-Brexit, but no celebrations
-
Canada imposing 25% tariff on some US auto imports
-
Ruud wants 'fair share' of Grand Slam revenue for players
-
Lesotho, Africa's 'kingdom in the sky' jolted by Trump
-
Trump's trade math baffles economists
-
Gaza heritage and destruction on display in Paris
-
'Unprecedented crisis' in Africa healthcare: report
-
Pogacar gunning for blood and thunder in Tour of Flanders
-
Macron calls for suspension of investment in US until tariffs clarified
-
Wall St leads rout as world reels from Trump tariffs
-
Mullins gets perfect National boost with remarkable four-timer
-
Trump tariffs hammer global stocks, dollar and oil
-
Authors hold London protest against Meta for 'stealing' work to train AI
-
Tate Modern gifted 'extraordinary' work by US artist Joan Mitchell
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's new tariffs list
-
Tonali eager to lead Newcastle back into Champions League
-
Lesotho hardest hit as new US tariffs rattle Africa

Why first 72 hours are crucial for Turkey-Syria quake rescues
Time was running out for survivors buried in the rubble of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, as search efforts near the crucial 72-hour mark, a rescue response expert said Wednesday.
More than 90 percent of earthquake survivors are rescued within the first three days, said Ilan Kelman, a professor of disasters and health at University College London.
But that number can vary significantly depending on the weather, aftershocks and how quickly rescue teams and equipment can arrive at the scene -- all factors which are currently going against efforts in Turkey and Syria.
Over 11,200 people have been killed and thousands more injured after the earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria at 04:17 am (0117 GMT) on Monday.
With the 72-hour window closing early Thursday morning, Kelman told AFP why this timeframe is so important.
- Injuries, temperature, water -
"Generally, earthquakes do not kill people, collapsing infrastructure kills people," said Kelman, who has published research on quake rescue responses.
The most pressing factor is getting medical attention to people crushed under collapsed buildings before "their bodies fail" or they bleed out, he said.
Weather is also a key factor, and "it is completely against us" in Turkey and Syria, Kelman said.
The quake-hit regions have suffered through freezing temperatures as well as rain and snow since Monday.
"This very sadly means that hypothermia is possible, and people are probably unfortunately perishing due to the weather," Kelman said.
Those who do manage to survive the cold and their injuries still need food and water.
Without water, many people "will start dying at the three, four, five day mark," Kelman said.
Aftershocks, which hit without warning in the days after an earthquake, can further collapse buildings, posing "a huge and frightening risk" to both survivors and those trying to rescue them, he added.
The quake-hit regions have been shaken by relentless aftershocks, including a massive 7.5 magnitude tremor on Monday.
- Getting help to the scene -
Kelman said that normally "the vast majority of survivors are brought out within 24 hours by local teams, often using no more than their hands or a shovel."
Dozens of nations have pledged to send search and rescue teams as well as relief supplies to Turkey and Syria.
But the quake occurred in "a remote area, in a conflict zone, which is very difficult to get into," Kelman said.
It generally takes at least 24 hours for international rescue teams to arrive, get set up and start working.
"At that point, a good number of the people who could have survived have already perished," Kelman said.
For areas stricken by conflict near the Syrian border, access is trickier still.
"And as far as I've seen, rescue teams have not even fully assessed many of the areas in the main conflict zones, or many of the temporary settlements for displaced people," Kelman said.
- How to find survivors? -
Once on the scene, there are a range of ways that rescue teams can find earthquake survivors, including dogs which sniff through rubble.
A particularly famous team of quake rescue dogs from Mexico is on its way to Turkey, Kelman pointed out.
Robots and drones are also increasingly being used to get into small spaces too dangerous for humans.
Once a survivor is found, rescuers must decide how best to get them out.
Huge equipment such as cranes may be needed to lift slabs of collapsed buildings.
Or sometimes it is necessary to amputate a limb "which is crushed under a pillar or a piece of masonry," Kelman said.
- Before the 72 hours starts -
Kelman emphasised that "ultimately, a successful rescue operation starts decades before the earthquake to try to stop the infrastructure collapsing in the first place".
"If we would see levels of investment in disaster prevention that we are seeing in disaster response, we would not be in this situation."
S.F.Warren--AMWN