SANLIURFA, Turkiye - Rescuers in Turkiye and Syria battled bitter cold Tuesday in a race against time to find survivors under buildings flattened by an earthquake that killed more than 7,300 people.

The latest toll showed 5,434 people killed in Turkiye and at least 1,872 in Syria, for a combined total of 7,306 fatalities.

There are fears that the toll will rise inexorably, with WHO officials estimating up to 20,000 may have died.

WHO warned that up to 23 million people could be affected by the massive earthquake and urged nations to rush help to the disaster zone.

The UN's cultural agency UNESCO also said it was ready to provide assistance after two sites listed on its World Heritage list in Syria and Turkiye sustained damage.

In addition to the damage to Aleppo's old city and the fortress in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, UNESCO said at least three other World Heritage sites could be affected.

AFP