Machibet APPEarthquake death toll nears heart-wrenching 20,000 milestone as expert warns 'today we'll stop finding people alive' | The Sun - Mcb777 Login

HOPES were fading for earthquake survivors trapped in the rubble in Turkey and Syria today as the death toll neared 20,000.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan admitted there have been "shortcomings" to rescue efforts since the devastating disaster, and experts have warned time is running out.

Two-year-old Mert Tartar was saved today after 79 hours in the rubbleCredit: Getty

rescuers continue to search the ruins of Turkish cities destroyed by the quakeCredit: Reuters

A child was rescued after 80 hours under rubble in KahramanmarasCredit: Getty

Residents pick their way through the destruction in Aleppo, SyriaCredit: AP

These images show the damage before and after the deadly quakeCredit: AP

The official number of deaths from Monday's mega-quake reached 16,546 in Turkey and more than 3,000 in Syria.

The grim toll surpassed the 17,000 killed in a quake in northwest Turkey in 1999.

And experts warned the survival window for those still trapped under wrecked buildings is diminishing as the days go by.

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Expert Steven Godby told Sky News: "The survival ratio on average within 24 hours is 74 per cent, after 72 hours it is 22 per cent and by the fifth day it is 6 per cent."

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And two school volleyball teams from Northern Cyprus were feared crushed to death in a collapsed hotel in Adiyaman.

A group of 39 including a boys' and girls' team and their teachers had travelled there for a tournament.

Only four of the group are known to have survived, and today rescuers found the bodies of two teachers and a child.

Meanwhile photos of two-year-old Mert Tatar being pulled from rubble after being trapped for 79 hours have gone viral online.

The toddler was seen being carried off by rescue workers after they heard his cries through a concrete wall.

The team drilled until they reached the tot who had been buried in rubble near Antakya.

President Erdogan's office has received an influx of complaints about lack of equipment and experts to assist those trapped.

Turkey levied a so-called “earthquake tax” after a 1999 quake killed 17,000 people.

The £3.8billion raised was supposed to be used to prevent future disasters and fund emergency response teams.

Opposition parties accused Mr Erdogan of failing to use the tax properly — resulting to a delayed response to the deadly quake.

While visiting southern Turkey, Erdogan said: "This is a time for unity, solidarity. In a period like this, I cannot stomach people conducting negative campaigns for political interest.

"It is not possible to be prepared for such a disaster. We will not leave any of our citizens uncared for."

The United Nation's resident Syria coordinator has begged the west for earthquake aide to rebel-held areas in Syria's northwest, which has been decimated by the natural disaster.

Syria has been under fierce sanctions from the European Union, but the organisation changed its tune and has encouraged EU member countries to assist Syria after the catastrophe.

Some 77 men and women from the UK International Search and Rescue, including firefighters, medics, and a sniffer dog affectionately called Dave, arrived Tuesday evening to assist.

Rescue worker Phil Irving from Wales told BBC News: "I went to Haiti in 2010 and this is comparable to the devastation I've witnessed, particularly in this location where it doesn't seem to be that international teams have arrived."

Hope hasn't been lost, however, as rescue workers have miraciously found many alive after more than 72 hours.

In Haram, northern Syria, siblings identified as Mariam and Ilaaf were saved after 36 hours under the rubble, with Mariam bravely shielding her little brother’s head.

Turkey’s President Erdogan said rescue teams from 18 nations are now in the region, helping save survivors under the wreckage.

Photos of body bags lining plazas and courtyards have been circulated online, as families scramble to find their loved ones.