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CNN INTERNATIONAL: Two Thousand And Eight Hundred Plus Dead In Syria And Turkey, Rescue Efforts Ongoing; Weather, Infrastructure Complicate Rescue Efforts; Ukrainian Troops Begin Training On Leopard 2 Tanks; U.S. Recovering Debris From Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired February 06, 2023 - 15:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:31]
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN HOST: Hello, I'm Christina Macfarlane, and you're watching CNN special coverage of the devastating earthquake in Southern Turkey.
Authorities are racing to rescue survivors after one of the worst earthquakes in 100 years. The 7.8 magnitude quake left at least 2,800 people dead across Turkey and Syria, more than 14,000 are injured. Entire buildings collapsed in the aftermath.
This video is from Haliliye, about 270 kilometers east of the earthquake's epicenter, there have been at least 120 aftershocks, some almost as strong as the original. The impact has been felt as far as Lebanon and Israel.
In Syria, the destruction is particularly severe after years of Civil War. The country's Civil Defense says they do not have the resources to handle the disaster. White Helmets are calling for international cooperation to deliver aid.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is joining us live from Istanbul at this hour where night has fallen, Jomana, across the region, but that has not stopped rescue efforts, which continue despite freezing conditions.
Bring us up-to-date, if you will, with those efforts, and also the situation facing people now who have been displaced by this earthquake, where have they gone? What are they doing? You know, what is the situation facing them?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christina, as the Turkish President described, this is the biggest disaster Turkey has faced in the last century, I mean, the unimaginable devastation that we are seeing across this massive earthquake zone stretching across at least 10 Turkish provinces and across the border into Syria, in rebel-held parts in Northwestern Syria, as well as government-controlled areas.
We are seeing the death toll on both sides of the border continuing to rise by the hour pretty, much more. Than 2,800 people so far confirmed killed, thousands and thousands injured, according to Turkish officials.
And the concern is, Christina, that the numbers are expected to rise. A lot of concern that the real casualty figures in the coming hours are going to be much, much higher than that.
In Syria, what aid agencies are saying is that they are really struggling to get information out of the country. Of course, as you mentioned, a country that has been devastated, dealing with the aftermath of more than a decade of a Civil War that has decimated the country's infrastructure and services. And now, you've got this earthquake on top of this, aid agencies are saying communication disruptions, power outages, making it very difficult for them to get information.
But they fear that Northwestern Syria home to some of Syria's most vulnerable, internally displaced people has been really hard hit. So, we'll have to wait and see in the coming hours what the local search and rescue teams there will say about the update.
And then here in Turkey, thousands and thousands of buildings have been destroyed. Many buildings flattened. Of course, this striking -- this earthquake at four o'clock in the morning while people were indoors sleeping when this happened.
So the fear is that you could potentially be looking at a situation where thousands of people remain trapped under the rubble. I mean, you just have to look at the images that are coming out from across the earthquake zone to just imagine the kind of horror that people have gone through and are continuing to live through right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARADSHEH (voice over): A young man trapped, desperation in his eyes. Then in the pre-dawn darkness, a moment of joy.
Rescuers haul him from the wreckage of a building in Southern Turkey.
(UNIDENTIFIED MEN speaking in foreign language.)
KARADSHEH (voice over): As the morning sunrises, all many others can do is pray.
BIRCAN RIZVAN, DIYARBAKIR RESIDENT (through translator): We'll see what happened to those living on the ground floors. May God give us a speedy recovery.
KARADSHEH (voice over): This was a residential building full of families, asleep in their homes when the massive earthquake struck just before daybreak.
IHSAN CETINTAS, DIYARBAKIR RESIDENT (through translator): I was sleeping when my wife suddenly woke me up. The quake was very severe, very scary. It took almost two minutes until the shaking stopped.
[15:05:06] KARADSHEH (voice over): We can't yet know how many people could be
trapped in a building like this, in wrecked homes like this across Turkey and into neighboring Syria. More buildings brought down, a toddler found.
(UNIDENTIFIED MEN speaking in foreign language.)
KARADSHEH (voice over): The White Helmets have done this before, heroes of the Syrian Civil War now pulling people out from under a very different disaster.
So many in rebel-held Northern Syria had very little yesterday, people will be left with nothing today.
In Turkey, too, foreign help will be needed. The government in Ankara has asked its neighbors to come to its aid. The search and rescue will stretch on for days, hope will remain for as long as possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: That was Jomana Karadsheh reporting.
A cold night has fallen in the region further complicating efforts to get survivors out of the rubble. Rescuers are facing a perfect storm of challenges -- freezing weather, snow and rain in addition to continued aftershocks from the earthquake, more than a dozen provinces in Eastern Turkey are under weather warnings.
The situation is also dire in Syria, where rural areas are already facing power cuts and poor infrastructure.
Ubeyd Sakin is the Country Director for Turkey for Human Appeal and he is joining me now live from Gaziantep in Turkey.
Thank you for your time this evening.
As we've been saying there, nightfall has come, freezing temperatures and the possible risk of further collapse of buildings with these possible aftershocks that may still come.
Talk to me about what your teams on the ground are experiencing and the challenges they are facing in these rescue efforts this hour.
UBEYD SAKIN, COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR TURKEY FOR HUMAN APPEAL: At these hour, the rescue teams are, of course, apart from the obvious challenges are facing one-degree Celsius, and there has been certain shortages of supplies, both food and water supplies, and also the required heavy machinery. They took some time to reach the disaster zone. Not all of them obviously, but the ones that are relatively remote from the center.
That's why some of the efforts could only intensify by the evening, and at this moment. Many of the rescue workers and volunteers should work under heavy weather conditions.
MACFARLANE: You are in Gaziantep close to where we believe the epicenter of the earthquake happened. Do you have any idea how successful teams have been there in recovering people alive? What the efforts have been like there to recover people alive or dead?
SAKIN: We know so far overall in Turkey, more than 6,500 have been rescued alive, but of course 12 doctors have been injured and we have around 2,000 dead, not just in Gaziantep, but that's for all Turkey.
In Gaziantep, the initial numbers were 530 buildings collapsed. But right now, the number is higher. We are getting cumulative numbers so far from the authorities. And they change and unfortunately, increase each time there is an announcement.
But I can say definitely both government workers, authorities, and civil society organizations are fully engaged in this.
MACFARLANE: We know that the international community have pledged support, we understand from I think 45 countries. Have you seen any international teams in operation on the ground there already?
SAKIN; Not so far, not so far, but I believe, it will take a lot of time because the devastation requires as apparent from the notice from the call out from the government, a very coordinated effort and there is need for lots of rescue workers, particularly professionals.
MACFARLANE: I was speaking to a member of the IRC in the last hour who was telling me that the weather conditions will make the situation 10 times worse.
Are you able to provide any aid on the ground there for these cold conditions? You mentioned it's one degree there, do you have any capability to help people in these conditions?
SAKIN: Right now, we see and we contribute as we appeal to hot meal distributions. Again, it took some time to prepare the supply chain, but it is there now, at least I can speak for Gaziantep and from what I hear from my colleagues that is also coming into place in other cities as well.
[15:10:12]
SAKIN: Initially, there was an issue of reaching clean water, drinking water, and that's also fine at this moment. But what I could say and as we mentioned before, the weather conditions are pressing and obviously the rescue workers have -- you know, they've been working for many hours.
But this work is a type of work that you cannot just stop. So, the coming day tomorrow, I believe there will be more people encouraged to join and we will increase the resources that they require proportionally.
MACFARLANE: Ubeyd, final question, if I may, we know that Gaziantep had a huge community of refugees. There are a lot of high rise buildings in that region. Where are people gathering right now? Displaced people? Are they out in the open? Are they in their cars? Is there any sort of shelter available for them? SAKIN: From the very first moments in the morning, government --
both local government and municipality I would say and Ankara announced that all the government buildings, stadiums, or culture centers will be open to anyone who is in need of them.
But I have witnessed during the day many people, they prefer to sleep in their cars. We cannot say necessarily that they all lost their homes, maybe, I believe some of them are just scared of the aftershocks.
So tomorrow, we will have a clearer picture, but these shelters are open to both locals and refugees without any discrimination, this I can tell you.
MACFARLANE: We wish you and your teams the very best of luck as this continues, rescue efforts continue through the night.
Ubeyd Sakin, thank you so much for joining us.
SAKIN: Thank you very much.
MACFARLANE: Now, it was terrifying enough when the earthquake struck in the darkness, but dozens of aftershocks are compounding the misery for residents still on edge.
One of them was 7.5, almost as powerful as the original quake itself. Countries as far away as Cyprus felt the shock waves and here can see how the entire region was affected.
CNN's Hadas Gold is in Jerusalem with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That massive earthquake was filled all the way down here in Jerusalem, as well as across the West Bank and all the way through to Jordan waking some people from their sleep. Some people telling me they were woken up by what seemed like their entire house shaking, and then that incredibly strong aftershock, people in Northern Israel actually evacuating office buildings due to the strength of that aftershock, but no major injuries or damage had been reported in Israel, across the Palestinian territories, or in Jordan.
The Israeli Military meanwhile announcing that they are immediately sending around 150 search and rescuers, part of two flights, will be landing in Adana, just a couple hours' drive from the epicenter and the Israeli Military saying that actually so far, the Turkish government had only requested search and rescuers, but that the Israelis are ready to send more including field hospitals.
Other Israeli aid groups have also told me that they are currently preparing planes to go to Turkey in the coming days. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Syria had requested aid from Israel via what he called a diplomatic element, an Israeli security source actually telling CNN that that diplomatic element was actually Russia, that the request was conveyed to the Israelis by Russia.
Now a request of that kind would be rather extraordinary because although Israel and Syria are neighbors, they are formally at war and they have no diplomatic relations. However, an unnamed Syrian official has categorically denied there had been such a request telling the pro government media outlet Al-Watan that Netanyahu was trying to, as he said, exploit the catastrophe.
In the meantime, in places such as Israel where they felt that initial tremor, this has triggered the governments to start preparing for the next earthquake.
Benjamin Netanyahu ordering a situation assessment for how prepared Israel will actually be for the next Big One.
Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: All right, still to come tonight. Some of the other headlines we're following.
As Ukraine braces for a new Russian offensive, there is uncertainty about the tenure of the country's Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:13]
MACFARLANE: Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has extended his condolences to Turkey's earthquake victims. In a tweet he said: "Ukraine is ready to provide assistance to help Turkey overcome the consequences of the disaster." It comes as Zelenskyy deals with some major personal turmoil back home.
On Sunday, one of his top allies said Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced, but today the Parliamentary Leader said no change is expected this week. Reznikov is under pressure over a corruption scandal inside his department, he denies any wrongdoing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLEKSII REZNIKOV, UKRAINE DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): The decision of who is to be Minister or not is made by one person, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
I am not ashamed of anything. My conscience is absolutely clear. I have nothing to accept, I am a winner and I will remain so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, this all comes as Ukraine braces for a new Russian offensive. Troops began training on Leopard tanks today. Several NATO member nations are supplying the German-made tanks to Ukraine.
CNN got a chance to see them in action at NATO's winter exercises in Estonia not far from the Russian border.
Nic Robertson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice over): Danish Leopard 2 tanks similar to those soon to be deployed to Ukraine, storming an imagined enemy position in Estonia. French troops attack fictional frontlines as Estonian troops pretend to hold them off, all part of the Baltic Nations Annual NATO Winter Exercise to gel the multinational alliance into a singular fighting force.
ROBERTSON (on camera): This winter's military exercises feel different. The French have brought in far more troops in the past and with war still raging not far away in Ukraine, Commanders say, this training feels much more real.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Two-thirds of the 44 tanks involved in the exercise, British Challenger 2 tanks, more like these also soon deploying to Ukraine.
Lessons learned here valuable for the Ukrainians, communications between the Challenger and Leopard tanks critical, but no doubt used correctly, they could be a game changer.
MAJOR NICK BRIDGES, BRITISH ENHANCED FORWARD PRESENCE, ESTONIA: Both can do -- they can fight at night and they've got hunter killer capabilities as well. So they can engage a target while looking for the next target, so very much more advanced tanks and advanced sighting systems, than what the adversary would have.
ROBERTSON (on camera): The Ukrainians say they want to use the Leopard 2 tank as an iron fist to punch through Russian lines, give Putin a bloody nose, and snatch back territory they've lost.
[15:20:07]
ROBERTSON (voice over): The lesson here, that won't happen overnight.
Typically, games train individual Leopard 2 operators in two weeks, a crew of four in two months. But it can take two years to combine them into a force able to seize territory.
MAJOR RASMUS JENSEN, DANISH ARMY: It is the tactics that takes time, then you have the theory as a crew, then you have to learn to drive as a crew within a platoon or within the squadron.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Estonia's defense minister, whose country spends a whopping one percent of GDP supporting Ukraine watching the training, keen to get the tanks to Ukraine soonest.
HANNO PEVKUR, ESTONIAN DEFENSE MINISTER; I really hope that it's not too late. I really hope, because we all understand that there is a push from Russians coming in a very, like coming months, or coming weeks even. ROBERTSON (on camera): So is this a make or break moment in the next
few months in this war?
PEVKUR: Probably, so it is once again, when there will be no breakthrough in the coming weeks and months, then probably we will end or we will step into the very long time of war.
ROBERTSON (voice over): This operation ongoing for another week, as elsewhere, Ukrainian troops begin to get their hands on beasts like these.
How quickly they can use them effectively will impact well beyond Ukraine.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Tapa, Estonia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Let's return now to our top story: The desperate search for survivors after a devastating earthquake in Southern Turkey.
As authorities try to rescue people from the wreckage, witnesses describe the intense shaking that forced them from their houses. And now they say they face the pain of looking for their loved ones in the rubble they once called home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We took cover in the doorways, but the intensity was too high. As soon as the shaking slowed down, we threw ourselves outside. By the dawn we started looking for our relatives.
We have losses and there are several people we still can't reach. At the moment two voices are coming from the rubble. Search and rescue teams are working. We are in immense pain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Tarik Jasarevic is a spokesperson for the World Health Organization. He is joining me now live from Geneva.
Thank you for being with us.
Before I get to the WHO's efforts on the ground, I just wanted to get your assessment on how bad this is going to get? The death toll currently stands at 2,700 people. What is your expectation for what those numbers will rise to?
TARIK JASAREVIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Well, unfortunately, we will see these numbers going up as we have seen throughout the day with figures that are being provided by the authorities.
What is really important right now in these first 48 hours is to save lives, beside search and rescue operations to try to provide medical care to those with crush wounds, with broken limbs, with burns and scratches, those people need to get medical care, otherwise their life will be in danger.
At the same time, we need to help health workers to continue to provide other health services and we have all seen images of people being outside in the rain and that obviously brings risks for their health in its own.
MACFARLANE: And we know that you are releasing, sending medical supplies right now, where are those supplies currently? And how quickly are you going to be able to get them to people who desperately need them?
JASAREVIC: Well, we are working with authorities in both countries in Turkey and in Syria trying to map the damage, try to see where this assistance is the most needed.
On one hand, we have activated our network of emergency medical teams to provide that surgical healthcare that I just talked about. And on the other hand, we also will be providing medical supplies, trying to get to the northeastern part of Syria in the Idlib Province from where we get reports about at least two hospitals being out of service, with warehouses being damaged and with shortages of basic health materials.
We will also try to provide the medical supply to Aleppo and cities around where there were reports of victims and damages to people's home and to health facilities.
MACFARLANE: Yes, so you're trying to get aid into Northwest Syria. When you get there, will you -- is it your intention to help with the rescue operation or are you simply going to be or more going to be focusing on the humanitarian aid aspect of what's needed?
JASAREVIC: Well, we have been in Syria for the last 11 years during this conflict and that is 11 years we have had horrible impact on the health system in Syria, not only because of the socioeconomic issues, because of the war, but also because of the public health issues, Syria is just going through the cholera outbreak, for example, and we are still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
[20:25:19]
JASAREVIC: We will work with partners. We have been in a place. There is something called health cluster that worked in the eastern part of Syria, in Idlib and we will do our best to get what is needed and that's basically really surgical material, so first surgical care can be provided.
MACFARLANE: Well, we will of course keep in touch and see how your efforts are working with the WHO. Thank you so much for joining us for now.
Still to come tonight, workers are trying to save survivors from the rubble after one of the worst earthquakes in a century. We'll bring you the latest next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: You are watching live images coming to us from Turkey where it is about four degrees Celsius now at night and raining on those rescuers you can see just there, lit by lights.
They are picking up clumps of debris and throwing it down that large tube you can see in front of you there, in order to get it out of the way for search and rescue operations, and of course, the survivors.
The Turkish President has declared seven days of national mourning after the earthquake killed more than 2,800 people across Turkey and Syria. Efforts are ongoing to reach those still buried under the rubble and authorities are seeking international assistance.
More than 1,000 people are confirmed dead in Syria alone, a stunning loss of life.
[15:30:00]
Earlier, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Syria told me the situation on the ground is bleak and pleaded for help.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EL-MOSTAFA BENLEMLIH, U.N. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN SYRIA: Injured people and injured people are crowding the hospitals. You've just heard the person crying and us asking for help. We need help. Many, many buildings, I think between 20 and 30 buildings collapsed in Aleppo and maybe also in other places. Buildings in those places are already very vulnerable. And it might not be a surprise to see other buildings coming down.
Particularly as we are facing also very tough conditions of work with the rain and with the snow that is I think expected tonight in all the north west of Syria. That includes the northwest Syria, the (INAUDIBLE) and need -- help is needed. We -- many people are very scared. They don't want to go back to their -- to their houses. If we can call them houses in these cases. They're going sometimes.
They're afraid of the tremors and some of them are quite strong. So, they extend -- they extend -- they're extending something in freezing temperature. Snow on the roads or sleeping in cars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, Matthew Bryza is the CEO of Lamor Turkey. He's the former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan. And he joins me now live from Istanbul. Ambassador, thank you for your time. This was already a hugely complex and fragile region geopolitically but also in terms of the human humanitarian crisis in Syria. And now, it has been decimated by a natural disaster. You have been and worked in the region for 23 years. What does this now spell for the region moving forward?
MATTHEW BRYZA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LAMOR TURKEY: Well, what a great question, Christina. Yes. I mean, it's horrible for Turkey. It's unbelievable. This is a 330-mile-long zone of devastation, urban areas, rural areas. And it's even worse than Syria. Because for all these recent years, the Assad regime and the Russian Air Force were systematically destroying the health care facilities in Idlib, in northwest Syria.
And that was one of the hardest hit areas now in this earthquake or these earthquakes. And to make it even worse, the main delivery point for aid to that part of Syria was through Gaziantep, Turkey, which has also been hit by the earthquake. So, there's a huge level of humanitarian complexity that derives from the geopolitics. But having said that, when I look at the countries that have offered assistance to Turkey and Syria, I have hope.
I mean, you know, my -- I'm in so much pain, my whole family is in praying so much for the poor people still under the rubble, and for their families, and for the rescuers. But if you look at the offers of assistance, I mean, you see Israel offering assistance to Turkey, with whom there have not been normalized diplomatic relations and to Syria with whom Israel still at war. We see Armenia and Greece offering assistance to Turkey.
So, I hope that in this case, as in 1999, when Turkey's last huge earthquake hit, and Greece and Turkey relations improved as a result of mutual assistance because Greece had a subsequent earthquake a month later, both countries helped each other. I hope we'll see the sort of trivial diplomatic disputes in the context of this enormous human suffering being put aside, and it seems like that's beginning to happen. How long that will last? Who knows?
MACFARLANE: Yes. And as you say, in northern Syria, in particular, you know, that is a part of the country that has been rocked by Civil War. It has been ongoing now for 12 years. Have you yourself ever had a chance to travel to that region? Do you know what the situation on the ground there might be? The Syrian people might be facing in terms of the infrastructure, in terms of resources?
BRYZA: Yes. So, I haven't been into northern Syria, but I have been a few times to Gaziantep, as I mentioned, which is the -- sort of the, the focal point for getting international and Turkish assistance into Syria. And, you know, if you think back a few years ago the head of the UNHCR, so the High Commissioner for Refugees, said that the Turkish refugee camps in that area were among the best in the entire our world.
And so, Turkey was making sure that assistance could flow into northern Syria even though the Assad regime oppose that.
[15:35:08]
The Assad regime has tried to politicize humanitarian aid and has said, oh, the Assad regime said Syria only supports aid going into this area in northwest Syria. If it goes through checkpoints controlled by the Syrian government. Turkey was saying, we're not going to honor that. We're going to get the aid to the people who really need it. And that really, really helped.
However now, because the city of Gaziantep, that was the place through which all this aid was flowing is suffering so much itself. That aid is now going to remain in Turkey for a while. So, those poor Syrian people in the northwest of the country are on their own. And really -- they really, really need international support and persuasion of the Assad regime to depoliticize the need to rescue these people from this enormous suffering.
MACFARLANE: Just to pick up on your earlier point, Ambassador about the support we're seeing from Israel. I mean, there was concern that political tensions in the region might stifle aid efforts. How surprised were you to see Israel extend the hand of help? And how far do you think they will go and doing that?
BRYZA: Well, I don't mean to sound like I know it all. But I wasn't surprised because, you know, Turkey and Israel for the last year or so have been trying to restore their diplomatic relationship. They used to have a strategic partnership dating back 20 years ago. And they've been working hard on it. And I would have been really disappointed had Israel not made the effort. What really surprises me is Israel making the effort to Syria as well.
So, I, you know, I don't know how far things will go. But I do believe that Turkey, at least will welcome this assistance from Israel. And I think that factor will -- is already beginning to change the calculus. The diplomatic and strategic calculus in Ankara, again, which is going to move away from politicizing relations with Israel because Turkey has this huge election coming up, right? In May, when the future, the fate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be decided.
And Israel is a difficult issue in Turkish domestic politics. But by offering this assistance, I think Israel is depoliticizing the whole domestic political issue of Israel-Turkey relations. And that's got to be a good thing for regional stability in the longer run. But as I was just saying, the election is coming up. And shifting to domestic politics in Turkey, this is really make or break for President Erdogan.
If his government delivers, as it seems to be really trying to do now, it'd be very difficult to defeat him in the election. But if he -- if the government does not deliver, then it will be a huge challenge for him to overcome. So much as writing beyond of course, the enormous human challenge, so much as writing in terms of geopolitics on this.
MACFARLANE: Yes. His issue is secondary, but of course, you know, something to consider in the near future. Ambassador, it's great to have your thoughts. Thank you for your time. Now, Turkey is dealing with temperatures that are much colder than average, and it's making rescue efforts even more difficult. I want to bring in CNN Meteorologist Jennifer Gray. Jennifer, how much worse are these temperatures due to get?
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, temperatures are going to fall overnight, since we haven't quite reached the midnight hour. So, right now, very cold running about five to eight degrees Celsius below average, where we would typically be. Temperatures around four degrees, maybe six degrees in northern Syria. So, temperature is very cold, very close to freezing. And we'll definitely fall below freezing throughout the overnight hours.
Add to that, we have a disturbance that's in the area. It's bringing not only clouds, but it's also bringing rain and even snow to portions of the region. So, we have definitely unfortunate events happening as far as the weather goes when you're talking about search and rescue, recovery, cleanup, we are going to be dealing with some snow and rain for the overnight. Things will clear out by the time we get into tomorrow, but you'll still be left with very frigid temperatures.
And that's what we'll see over the next couple of days. As far as rainfall and snow totals, we're looking at about 25 millimeters of rain. We'll keep the snow totals light anywhere from say five to 10. Of course, once you get just to the Northeast, where the epicenter is, where we're still seeing damage, we could see snowfall totals quite a bit higher. So, that's where we'll see heavier snow.
But here's the forecast lows over the next couple of days. And these are important because as you mentioned, a lot of people sleeping outdoors, a lot of people have no shelter anymore, and the people that do have no power. And so, we're going to be seeing -- we're going to see temperatures drop well below freezing over the next several nights and we'll also see high temperatures stay very cold over the next couple of days.
Six degrees, maybe four degrees, but temperatures are still are going to be chilly for the time being.
[15:40:02]
Just to recap, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck at 4:17 In the morning. We have seen more than 75 aftershocks, Christina, since this happened of magnitude 4.0 and greater. And will -- we're expected to continue to see aftershocks for the days and weeks ahead. So, we have a lot more to deal with over the next several days and weeks. Christina?
MACFARLANE: Yes. That all in the last, what, 17 hours or so. Jennifer Gray, thanks very much for the update.
All right. Still to come tonight. U.S. crews work to salvage debrief from the suspected Chinese spy balloon as Hong Kong bits 47 pro- democracy figures on trial.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: A senior White House official says the first pieces of a Chinese spy balloon have reached the FBI's lab in Quantico. The balloon traveled across the U.S. for several days before it was shut down sparking criticism from Republicans that the Biden administration waited too long to act. China claims it was a civilian unmanned airship that drifted into the U.S. by accident. Carlos Suarez reports on the political fallout in the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Navy crews working into the night off the coast of North Myrtle Beach.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They just shot it.
SUAREZ: Including divers searching for debris from the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: There's reporting now that the debris field that was created by this balloon when it was shot down was about seven miles long.
SUAREZ: One onlooker provided this video to CNN showing what looks like a piece of possible debris from the balloon on the back of a boat. This as we're hearing the audio communications between the first fighter wing pilot and air traffic control that depict the moment the balloon was hit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The balloon is completely destroyed.
SUAREZ: The balloon was first spotted on January 28 when it entered Alaskan airspace. By Tuesday, it had entered the continental U.S. and was spotted over Idaho and Montana.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told them to shoot it down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On Wednesday. But the recommendation --
(CROSSTALK)
BIDEN: They said to me, let's wait for the safest place to do it.
SUAREZ: The military advised the President Biden that the debris from shooting down the balloon could pose a risk to civilians and infrastructure on the ground. The suspected Chinese surveillance balloon continued to make its way across the U.S. moving all the way to the East Coast. Once it was over the Atlantic, it was shot down.
[15:45:04]
MIKE TURNER, CHAIR, UNITED STATES HOUSE INTELLIGEN COMMITTEE: And the key is the payload that was attached to it, which you've reported is, you know, the size of three bus -- buses. That's obviously huge, and it was being commanded and controlled by Mainland China and delivering and data and information back to mainland China. Again, if you look at the path that you put X's where all of our sense of missile defense and nuclear weapons facilities are, I believe that they were trying to gain information on how to defeat the command and control of our nuclear weapons systems and our missile defense systems.
SUAREZ: The Pentagon says at least four other Chinese surveillance balloons have been spotted in recent years. They also said they had briefed Congress on previous balloons that flew near Texas and Florida. Officials say this balloon was unique from the others in the path it took and the length of time it spent loitering over sensitive missile sites in Montana. LEON PANETTA, FORMER UNITED STATES DEFENSE SECRETARY: If we were aware of the balloon, I think we should have taken steps to prevent it from entering our airspace. And I'm not sure that we should have allowed it to simply cross over the country crossover. We're obviously sensitive military sites. I don't -- I don't see the logic of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: CNN Carlos Suarez reporting there. Now, 47 pro-democracy figures went on trial in Hong Kong on Monday. They've been charged under China's controversial National Security Law and if found guilty could face severe punishment. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has this.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Hong Kong 47 is a group of 47 pro-democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion. Now this is a very serious crime here under the National Security Law. It's punishable by up to life in prison and the trial begins today. This is Hong Kong's largest national security trial since Beijing imposed sweeping legislation in the wake of the 2019 antigovernment protests.
And the 47 include a wide range of pro-democracy figures from the high-profile activist Joshua Wong, to former law professor Benny Tai and former journalist turn pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo. Now they have pleaded guilty. And among the defendants declaring their innocence is former journalist Gwyneth Ho. The group is accused of organizing and participating in an unofficial primary vote in July of 2020.
Hong Kong held a primary vote before without incident 2018 but when this primary vote took place, authorities called it a vicious plot intended to paralyze the government and undermine state power and China's liaison office said it contravenes the law. July of 2020, the office said in the statement this, "With the support of external forces, opposition groups and leaders have deliberately devised plans to hold the so-called primary election, which is a serious provocation to the current electoral system and cause serious damage to the fairness and justice of the legislative council elections."
A small group of protesters gathered outside the courtroom today and one banner read crackdown and shameless. Now critics say that the law has been used to crush the opposition movement. In a note last year, the senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch wrote this, "Hong Kong's biggest national security case is wrapped in legal language, but it's just part of the Chinese government's relentless efforts to smother Hong Kong's democracy movement.
The very real threat of life in prison for peaceful activism shows Beijing's utter contempt for both Democratic political processes and the rule of law." This landmark trial comes as the government is seeking to rebuild Hong Kong's image to revive tourism with 500,000 free flights. And this trial is expected to run for at least 90 days but its implications could last for years or even decades. Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong
MACFARLANE: All right. Still to come tonight. One of the biggest clubs in English football is at risk of being suspended from the Premier League. Next, we'll look at the accusations of financial impropriety being leveled at Manchester City.
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[15:51:36]
MACFARLANE: Welcome back. Manchester City Football Club is at risk of being suspended from the Premier League over an alleged major financial scandal. The league accuses city of breaching more than 100 financial rules over a decade. It has now referred the club to an independent commission, and if found guilty city could be suspended or have points deducted according to the Premier League handbook.
In a statement, the club says it's surprised by the allegations. It says it welcomed the independent review. CNN Senior Sports Analyst Darren Lewis joining me now live via Skype. Good to see you, Darren. Darren, it's been said that it this is proven, this could be one of the greatest offenses committed in Premier League history. But Manchester City have been accused of breaking financial fair play rules before.
So, why is it different this time? What is different?
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SENIOR SPORTS ANALYST (via Skype): Well, the difference back then was that the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Manchester City when they were suspended from European competition in 2020 for a period of two years. Now some of those charges that were -- that pulled out them did timeout, they exceeded the statute of limitations. But they were cleared at the time by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
An independent panel will (INAUDIBLE) and adjudicate in this case with the Premier League charges have been leveled at city. And there will be no recourse to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. That's why this is so different. That's why it's so great. You mentioned a second ago, the scope of the punishment that is within the Premier League independent panels grasp because as far as they're concerned, they can recommend to the Premier League board that as you've been saying there was a post deduction or potentially, that there is an expulsion from the Premier League.
Now, it's got to be made clear in this case to a city deny any wrongdoing. In fact, there is a feeling coming out of the Etihad that perhaps the club is being used. Well, there is a soon to be released a white paper here in the U.K., which may well recommend the setting up of an independent regulator. In effect, it would be as far as city are concerned, the Premier League saying, we don't need an independent regulator, we can take on the club the size of the champions of England.
They've won the title four times in the last five years. We can take them on, we don't need to be governed by an independent regulator. The Premier League's contention is a two -- are unrelated. And that the -- and in any case what had been the white paper due to be released on Wednesday, that's been postponed. That will now happen perhaps later in the month of maybe next month.
MACFARLANE: So, this could be I guess, from what you're saying politically motivated. But what is the likelihood then, Darren, given what you're saying the white paper has been postponed. That city will be expelled from the league.
LEWIS: Well, the scope as far as the Premier League, independent panel and it's got to be made clear, this panel is indeed independent. They will make a recommendation to the Premier League board for whatever punishment they see fit. And it is important for me if I can, Christina, just set out what is going to happen because a (INAUDIBLE) called Murray Rosen Q.C., he will pick three people who will sit on this panel.
[15:55:09]
They'll hear evidence from the Premier League and from city and then make an adjudication which will appear on the Premier League's Web site. If either party contends with that education, another panel will be set up to hear what the two parties have to say. And then a final adjudication will be made, as I said before, no recourse to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. So, there is a lot riding on this from either party's point of view.
But not least from the city point of view. As I said before, four titles in the last five years, they've got a high-class manager. They're a wonderful football team. But there is anxiety within their fan base. And I would suspect within the club as to what happens next, there'll be some expensively assembled lawyers on the case. I think we are from both sides. I'm going to stress again, that you have not been found guilty of any wrongdoing, whatsoever.
They've been cleared before by EUFA. But we are indeed at the beginning of a very long end game.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Financial fair play always slightly difficult to understand, but still an important to mark nonetheless, Darren, as you have done tonight. Thank you for joining us. And thank you all for watching tonight. I'm Christina MacFarlane in London. Stay with CNN. We'll have much more on the breaking news of that deadly earthquake in Syria and Turkey. We have just learned that the death toll has gone up. It now stands at 3452.
"THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper is up next.
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