Another 2 quake victims rescued following joint Chinese-Turkish efforts

This photo taken with a mobile phone shows members of the China Search and Rescue Team transferring a woman survivor with their local partners in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Tengfei)

ANTAKYA, Türkiye, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Turkish rescue teams pulled out on Thursday another two survivors from the ruins of collapsed buildings in quake-hit Antakya, a city in the southern Turkish province of Hatay.

The two women were plucked to safety beyond the critical 72 hours for rescue, Xinhua reporters witnessed at the scene.

Earlier in the day, a pregnant woman was saved by the rescuers from a collapsed eight-storey building in Antakya, said Zhao Yang, deputy leader of a Chinese rescue team.

Meanwhile, the bodies of two victims were recovered at around 11:50 a.m. local time (0850 GMT) on Thursday by the Chinese rescuers.

Members of the China Search and Rescue Team carry out rescue operation inside earthquake debris in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Shadati)

A catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks struck southern Türkiye and northern Syria on Monday, killing at least 14,014 people in Türkiye and 3,556 in Syria so far, according to the latest statistics.

International rescuers are racing against time to search for signs of life in quake-hit regions. Several search and rescue teams from China have arrived with rescue dogs, rescue equipment and other relief supplies to assist in the efforts.