DAMASCUS -- A total of 275 shelters have been opened across Syria, hosting victims of the earthquake that hit the country on Feb. 6, the ministry of local administration and environment said Sunday.

In a short statement, the ministry said 235 shelters were opened in the northern Aleppo province, 32 in the northwestern province of Latakia, five in Hama province, and two in Tartous province.

ANKARA/DAMASCUS — International rescuers are racing against time searching for signs of life among the wreckage in quake-stricken regions, as the essential 72-hour window has closed. But sanctions by the United States on Syria have obstructed coordinated efforts to save lives in the country, triggering worldwide criticism.

China's official and civilian rescue teams worked against the clock over the weekend to find survivors trapped under rubble, following the Feb 6 earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria.

Members of China's official rescue team dispatched to Turkiye, together with local rescuers, pulled a survivor out of ruins of a flattened building in Antakya, Turkiye at 3:30 pm local time on Sunday, increasing the number of survivors they have helped save to five.

ISTANBUL - The first batch of emergency aid delivered by the Chinese government for earthquake relief has landed at Istanbul Airport on Saturday. The supplies, including tents and blankets, will then be transported to quake-hit areas by another large cargo plane from Istanbul. In the coming days, other emergency supplies, including tents, electrocardiographs, ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and medical transfer vehicles will be shipped in batches from China. 

BEIJING -- International search and rescue teams have rushed to Turkiye to assist in rescue efforts after two massive earthquakes jolted the country Monday. Chinese rescuers have successfully saved four survivors so far.

LATAKIA, Syria — Ibrahim Zakaria lost track of time drifting into and out of consciousness while trapped for nearly five days in the rubble of his home following the massive earthquake that struck Turkiye and Syria this week.

ANKARA -- A border gate between Turkiye and Armenia has been opened for the first time in 30 years for the passage of humanitarian assistance for victims of the devastating earthquakes hitting southern Turkiye, the state-run Anadolu News Agency reported Saturday.

An Armenian delegation with five trucks of aid has entered Turkiye through the Alican Border Gate in the eastern province of Igdir, the report said.

ALEPPO, Syria -- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the quake-hit Aleppo city in northern Syria on Saturday, raising hope for more emergency aid to reach Syria in the coming days.

ANTAKYA, Turkiye — The death toll in Turkiye and Syria from the earthquake that struck five days ago has surpassed 25,000.

The Chinese have paid great attention to the earthquake in Turkiye.

Search and rescue teams from many countries are decisively continuing their work in the aftermath of a major earthquake in Turkiye. The 135-member Chinese search and rescue team was greeted with applause and slogans at the airport in Istanbul.

BEIJING -- According to the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the Chinese government delivered its first supplies to Turkiye for earthquake relief on Saturday morning.

The first batch of 40,000 blankets left Shanghai Pudong Airport at 6:30 am and will arrive in Istanbul, Turkiye on Saturday and Sunday, said the CIDCA.

A rescue dog named Lucky from the Zhejiang Rescue Team of Ramunion helped emergency personnel find a male survivor at 3 pm local time on Friday in Antakya, Turkiye, increasing the number of survivors found by the civilian team to nine.

ANKARA -- The death toll from Monday's devastating earthquakes climbed to 20,213 in Turkiye, while another 80,052 injuries were reported in the country, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced late Friday.

ANTAKYA, Turkiye — It had already been more than the critical 72 hours seen as a cutoff point for finding Turkish earthquake survivors.

DAMASCUS — Syria's health minister said on Thursday that the Syrian health sector is reeling under pressure from the United States' sanctions, while dozens of nations, including China, have pledged to help.

Bitter cold hampers efforts but miracles still happen

A research team from Wuhan University in Hubei province is measuring the amount of light picked up by satellites to estimate the scale of damage in earthquake-stricken areas in Turkiye.