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In Turkey-Syria Earthquake, More Than 7,900 Dead, Survivors Pulled From Rubble; President Joe Biden's First Address With New Republican House Majority; Beijing Protests U.S. Shooting Down Suspected Spy Balloon. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired February 08, 2023 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[23:59:28]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone. I'm John Vause.
Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. Rescue crews in Turkey and Syria, racing against the clock in a desperate search for survivors after Monday's powerful earthquake.
Heckled and booed, the U.S. presidents stared down at a handful of Republicans in the House who constantly interrupted his State of the Union address.
And that China spy balloon just a small part, what U.S. intelligence calls a massive surveillance effort to spy on multiple countries.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.
[00:00:07]
VAUSE: It's coming up to 8:00 a.m. in Turkey and Syria where hopes of finding survivors from Monday's powerful earthquake are fading by the hour. The death toll is now closing to 8,000 and in Syria, rescuers from the White Helmet group say many who are trapped under debris and rubble in freezing temperatures will not survive for much longer. And warns of a significant increase in the confirmed number of dead.
Many residents in the vast quakes in Turkey have described the pace of rescues as slow and the government response inadequate. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered hotels in the tourist (INAUDIBLE) to reopen and rooms allocated for survivors whose homes were destroyed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translator): We declare the 10 cities that are affected by the earthquake as disaster areas by the authority given to us by article 119 of the constitution, we declare a state of emergency in the 10 cities that will last for three months in order to ensure that search and rescue operations and other work are done rapidly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: In northwest Syria, excuse me, a shortage of heavy equipment has forced many to dig through the rubble with their bare hands. The region is largely controlled by rebels opposed to the government of Bashar al-Assad, their president (PH) is calling for international sanctions to be lifted so humanitarian assistance can arrive.
Amid the devastation and despair though, there are moments of hope.
And then there are tragic scenes as well in southern Turkey, a father holding the hand of his 15-year-old daughter who was killed in Monday 7.8 earthquake.
CNN's Becky Anderson is live this hour in southern Turkey, Becky.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (on camera): John, despite the bitter cold and the fact that it has now been more than 50 hours, since that massive earthquake struck very close to where I am now in Gaziantep in southern Turkey, hopes and not lost that people will be found and that in and of itself, it feels like a miracle here.
And let me explain where I am and what's going on here. I'm in Ibrahimli that is to the west of Gaziantep in southern Turkey, about 20 kilometers from the epicenter of this quake. This is a relatively new and to be honest, a city with relatively robust buildings, and it hasn't been affected across the board, but there are pocket, significant pockets. And this is one of them where buildings simply collapsed, including the one behind me, which was on Monday morning just before 4:15, a four -- sorry, a 10-story building similar to the one to my left and adjacent to the one as you can see to the right, it's completely collapsed.
And we've been here for more than 24 hours now. And the search and rescue team is still on site. And it is still that John, a search and rescue operation. And let me tell you why, we've been talking to people behind me, Chevelle (PH) just open up this shot so that people can see it. There are people gathered here around these fires, some of whom have been out here since the quake struck, some of whom have relatives who are as yet unaccounted for.
There is one guy called Omar (PH) that we spoke to last night and again tonight who has made contact with his uncle, who is with him his three kids and his wife beneath the rubble there.
Now, the last time there was contact with him was about four or five hours ago and his uncle was actually able to contact the search and rescue guys here by cellphone. He said they were fine, clearly in a terrible state, but they were surviving.
And the idea, therefore, is that this search and rescue effort is done at a painstaking -- is a painstaking progress. It is done so carefully, using heavy equipment and diggers, using drills but also using spades and their bare hands.
Because if that void, underneath this building still exists, they will effort to get these families out. [00:05:06]
There were 150 people or so living in this building. There were four flats per floor. And so the authorities here have surmise there were about 100-250 people. We haven't I'm afraid seen anybody come out alive since we've been here.
But in a building just down to my left, which is partially collapse. They have as we understand it this morning, recovered, at least one little boy alive.
So, there is hope still amongst what is a very desperate situation here in Gaziantep. And worse, let me tell you, John, north of here, in cities where they haven't got the sort of support that they've got here on search and rescue and they haven't got the aid getting in a new reference northwest Syria as a very, very desperate situation.
Let me just set the scene with this report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice over): From underneath the destruction, a momentary sigh of relief, the search and rescue teams find a sign of life while sifting through the rubble. But seconds later, another lifeless body is found.
Monday's devastating quake has left an ever-growing death toll in its thousands leaving families across Turkey and Syria without homes and without loved ones.
As the snow falls, grief has been compounded with freezing conditions, huddled around a small fire, survivors worry about friends and relatives still trapped under the rubble.
Forbidden by authorities to intervene, Murat Alinak says he just wants to help recover his relatives to give them a proper send off.
MURAT ALINAK, QUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): We are under the snow without a home, without anything we can overcome this, we can pass for 40 days and still overcome this. But let us recover for the funerals.
ANDERSON: International aid has poured in from all corners of the world. France, Mexico, Germany and India are some of the countries who've pledged to step up efforts. Planes carrying supplies from Iran and Iraq, also arriving in Damascus on Tuesday. As C-17 cargo planes from the UAE flew quickly to the quake stricken area.
UMUR ZAMANOGLU, TURKISH SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM LEADER: Now, 25,000 Turkish search and rescue crew is on the mission and more estimated 5,000 people is coming from the other country.
ANDERSON: Back in Gaziantep, survivors at this gas station are desperately trying to fill up and find safety away from the destruction. Barters lines stretched throughout the airport with cancellations
expected for at least three days. And Turkey's Erdogan declaring a state of emergency for the next three months, passengers slowly resigned to the fact that there may be no escape anytime soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (on camera): Look, John, it's minus six as we speak, you have to worry about the risk of hypothermia for anybody who is still alive. And also my report has just been being broadcast there.
Omar, who is the guy that I've been telling you about the nephew of the guys trapped underneath here with his nephews, we've just seen him climb up with the authorities. I don't know what that means. I'll try and catch up with him when he comes back down.
You have to hope they've still got some hope of life for that family. And you have to hope maybe that is why that young chap, he's about 24 years old, has climbed onto the rubble to see what he can do.
Kit Miyamoto is joining me now from Miyamoto International. Kit specializing is in disasters scenes like this. And as I understand he has a specialist understanding in his engineering and structural company on disaster zones, specifically with earthquakes.
Kit, we've been explaining that the scene behind me here, which is obviously echoed across this region is still alive search and rescue scene, which I think to many of our viewers will be a real surprise given that it is minus six, and we are 50 hours into this effort.
Just explain what you understand, given your experience going on behind me at this point?
KIT MIYAMOTO, GLOBAL CEO, MIYAMOTO INTERNATIONAL: Yes. Thanks, Becky. Yes, that's a really tough time right now. And research tells us that most of the fatality actually happens in the first 10 minutes actually. So the most of the death you're going to see death happens that.
[00:10:01]
However, though, you will find people weeks after also, you know, so it's definitely the key here is, don't give up till everybody, everyone is identified. I think that's a very important.
I know that urban search and rescue teams, they're taking incredible amount of personal life risk to doing that, because of all the debris and everything else. A very fragile -- very fragile state. But they're doing an actually great job there.
ANDERSON: Yes. And the coordination, I know, is the sort of priority at the beginning, the coordination of the teams who are here.
Look, let's be quite frank, Gaziantep, they could do with more support and there is definitely an enormous need for more support, more search and rescue, more equipment. And the Turkish authorities, quite frankly, and it's understandable at this point. And being held to account on this.
Clearly, with those heavy equipment where I am, there is not the sort of equipment that we see even around me here in other parts of Turkey, let alone in northwest Syria, where as we understand it, the situation is so much worse.
We've seen and drills -- look, we've seen -- we've seen the guys here using spades and their bare hands. We've also seen them using probes. Those as I understand it will be sort of heat sensitive probes, they will be listening probes. I mean, you've been on sites like this, and just -- I don't know whether you can see where I am. But the buildings to the left and right of this, by the way Kit are very, very fragile. And the entire time that we've been here, there have been concerns about the risk of those buildings coming down to see your -- to your point, the idea that these guys are challenged is a real understatement here, isn't it?
MIYAMOTO: Oh, yes. Oh, yes, most definitely. And usually a structure engineer attached to the team. And they actually monitor and survey the actual debris itself. If there's any movement, there's a warning comes up so the team members can evacuate quickly, or aftershocks coming through.
So, there are some certain safety protocol is taken out there. But the one thing I noticed that, not only they rely on their rescue -- search and rescue teams, but also people, the community, citizens, they just -- they're the one actually first line of defense actually. So, they actually did their part. They dig up the family, friends, neighbors, community members. So that's actually a truly the best practice, you know.
And yes, it is definitely you going to see the survivors, you're going to -- you're going to find still, you know, it's only at the fourth day now. OK, so we should not give up on that.
And I'm planning to leave California tomorrow morning, tomorrow and get to the site in a couple of days from now. And now our Turkish team from Istanbul is already there on site.
ANDERSON: OK, that's amazing. And I know your support here will be so well received. We were talking about there, the support, the local community has provided and you're absolutely right. It's been absolutely critical. Narrowing some of the complaints that we're hearing now from many members of these local communities saying where is the support not only on the site, but where's the support for those who have lost their homes as well.
We know that people have been sheltering in mosques, in schools. I know that the authorities the president here is now called for hotels in the -- in the Mediterranean area to open but look, I mean, there's no doubt that the support has been slow. And whether or not that's because the supports simply didn't exist in these areas. That's something that will come out in the wash, of course, the international effort of which of course, you are now part of has been phenomenal.
More than 70 countries sending equipment in the UAE where I came from, I came with the aid flight that came in, they were bringing ambulances, search and rescue vehicles and field hospitals. It's equipment like that, and efforts like that, which will be crucial at this point whether or not more people are found alive, it's those who've survived who need the support, isn't it?
MIYAMOTO: That's right. That is correct. And also, the Turkish Government has been preparing for this type of major disasters for last 20 years now. The concern is that after 1999 earthquake, that expectation of a so called Istanbul earthquake in the town of 20 million people.
So, they've been really prepared for this. You know, that's one thing I know, and they are going to have a robust response. But as you know, this area is mountainous, and 100 kilometers long. I mean, it's a widespread area affecting 10 million people.
[00:15:10]
So, it's definitely the no government, single government cannot do this alone. I think it has to be a definitely international support and assistance to the Turkish Government as robust as they are.
ANDERSON: Yes, and indeed, of course, the areas in Syria, and I'm not just going to say the Syrian government, because of course, there are still opposition controlled areas at least that of Idlib.
And it's very, very unclear what is getting in. And in even when it gets into country, how it gets into the areas that are most affected, you make a very good point, this is across an extraordinary region. I mean, kilometers and kilometers, hundreds of kilometers of area that has been damaged here.
So, you're right to point out that this is an enormous effort, the international aid effort will be incredibly important. I think it is important, we're hearing concerns about the coordination by the authorities, not least with those international teams in coming, and people just appealing for that coordination to be as organized as possible, so that these efforts can be deployed on the ground where they are needed most.
Kit, we appreciate it. And listen, the people of Turkey and of Syria, that is where you can eventually get into. I know we'll be appreciating your efforts and those of the other members of the international communities. We thank you very much indeed for joining us today.
John, that's a picture. As I say, look, you can only hope that what we're seeing behind me here will be a success story.
But at this stage, you know, it's a cliche, but time clearly is running out, not just here in Gaziantep. But across this entire region, John.
VAUSE: Yes, right now it seems the cold is one of the biggest factors here they have to deal with. It is freezing cold, as you can tell. Thank you for that. We'll take a short break. When we come back, possibly the worst
combative State of the Union address in recent memory. U.S. President Joe Biden heckled and booed and mixing it up with some of his biggest critics. Details on that and what he actually said in his address to Congress.
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VAUSE: Some breaking sports news, LeBron James has just become the NBA all-time scoring leader. The Los Angeles Lakers star past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long standing record of 38,387 points in the third quarter of Tuesday night's games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The game was then put on hold to celebrate. James was joined on the court by his family. Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar as well whose record had stood since 1984.
OK, moving on U.S. President Joe Biden has delivered his first State of the Union with a Republican majority in the lower House.
Earlier in the day, speaker Kevin McCarthy pleaded with fellow Republicans to be respectful, if not to the president, then the office of the presidency. But a handful were not.
[00:20:07]
The president was repeatedly booed and heckled and when he criticized Republicans for proposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare, Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled liar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage. I get it. Unless, I agree to their economic plans.
Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans -- some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security sunset. I'm not saying this is the majority.
Let me give you -- anybody who doubts it, contact my office. I'll give you a copy. I'll give you a copy of the proposal. That means Congress doesn't vote. I'm glad to see -- I'd tell you, I enjoy conversion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: At times the president gave as good as he got his reply there, so we agree. He had earlier appealed to Republicans to work with the White House and find agreement through compromise.
On the China balloon incursion, the president went on the offensive, saying the decision to shoot down the balloon was about protecting American sovereignty, and a sign of strength. And there was a victory lap of sorts on Ukraine, telling the American people the U.S. has kept its promise of standing up to a bully, defending freedom and democracy. This was Biden's chance to speak directly to millions of Americans
listing his administration's accomplishments over the first two years in office and constantly saying, let's finish the job.
Many commentators believe Biden was paving the way to announce he will run for a second term. More now from CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Phil Mattingly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Four White House officials who crafted President Biden's second State of the Union address a critical primetime moment, tens of millions of viewers, there were three words they wanted the American public to take away from the president's remarks, finish the job, finish the job of his first two years, two years defined by major legislative achievements, but still significant malaise within the country coming out of a pandemic, coming out of an economic crisis, finish the job perhaps for two years from now, when he likely is running for reelection for a second term in office, despite being the oldest president in history.
But there was also an effort to reach out to Republicans. Republicans obviously, newly elevated to the majority in the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, sitting behind President Biden for the first time in the State of the Union address, and the president offering an olive branch, take a listen.
BIDEN: My Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there's no reason we can't work together and find consensus on important things in this Congress as well.
MATTINGLY: But that didn't mean it was necessarily a kind and gentle House chamber when the president delved into some of the areas of clear contention, most notably, the possibility of cutting Medicare and Social Security, something Republicans have made clear they don't view is on the table, particularly through the lens of the debt ceiling negotiations that are now underway.
The president saying in fact, they did have it on the table, that leading to a back and forth that the president was more than happy to engage in even as he was called by some Republicans a liar, shouting that from the audience.
The president, saying he welcomed a conversion moment, saying there was unanimity on an issue, calling for all members to stand in support seniors, all members stood in support in seniors. It was a moment that was off script and one that thrilled White House officials.
As one official told me, we couldn't have crafted that moment any better. It was also a window into a president that despite his age, very clearly is energized by the audience that he's speaking in front of. An audience that was engaged as much as he was throughout the course of the night. There couldn't have been a better moment for that. For a president that doesn't command large crowds, doesn't often try and sit in the forefront of cable news or in print publications on a regular basis. This was an opportunity to speak to a lot of people who White House officials viewed as not regularly engaged in political news or political media. This was his chance to reach out to them with his economic proposals, with his kitchen table proposals, with his calls for bipartisanship.
Frankly, it was a lead up, a test case if you will, for reelection message that the president is likely to roll out in the weeks ahead.
He will certainly be rolling it out in the days ahead. Traveling to Wisconsin on Wednesday in a critical swing state, to Florida on Thursday. State Democrats seem to have lost a grip on over the course of the last couple of election cycles.
All the highlight his economic agenda, all the highlight his plans going ahead, all to implicitly highlight the fact that despite his age, despite his approval ratings, this president as he demonstrated in a primetime address fully plans on running for reelection in 2024.
Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: More on now of the State of the Union Associate Professor of National Security at the University of New Haven, Matthew Schmidt will join us in a moment to talk about Biden's address and in particular Ukraine.
[00:25:00]
But first, to CNN's Kristie Lu Stout live for us this hour in Hong Kong. And Kristie, President Biden seems to believe offense may be the best defense when it comes to domestic criticism over the time it took to shoot down that balloon, that Chinese balloon. But how will that go down in Beijing?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, you know, John, we're still awaiting official Chinese reaction to the State of the Union.
But it's interesting CNN learned that China was mentioned in the original text of the State of the Union address well before the Chinese balloon slipped into American airspace last week, which of course caused that major political uproar, and prompted the U.S. Secretary of State to cancel that planned visit to Beijing.
And on top of that, it also added this new sense of urgency to the U.S. President's messaging about competition with China. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I'm committed to work with China where we can advance American interests and benefit the world but make no mistake about it. As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country and we did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Now, since the U.S. military shut down the Chinese balloon, China has been hardening its rhetoric significantly. In fact, we've learned that the charged affair of China's top official, Washington D.C., has overnight lodge representations, stern representations against officials at the U.S. State Department, also at the White House National Security Council. We also learned that the Pentagon is saying that when it made a request, after it shot down the Chinese balloon, it made a request for its U.S. Secretary of Defense to speak to his Chinese counterpart immediately after a U.S. fighter jet shut down the balloon. That offer was declined by the Chinese.
And then there's also this that we heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, a spokeswoman saying look, the United States right now in the process of recovering the remnants and debris of the balloon, analyzing it, but even the debris belongs to China.
Let's bring up the statement, this according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning who said the airship is China's, it's not the U.S.' The United States should have handled it properly in a calm, professional, non-forceful manner. But its insistence on using force is a clear overreaction. Again, that use of overreaction from Beijing in regards to the U.S. shooting down the Chinese balloon.
Again, China insists that the balloon was a civilian vessel that somehow blew off course. But the United States maintains that it was used for spy craft. In fact, U.S. intelligence officials have told CNN that it was part of a broader military surveillance operation. Back to you, John.
VAUSE: Lots of balloons. Kristie Lu Stout there live for us there in Hong Kong. Let's go to Matthew Schmidt now for the Ukraine part of the State of the Union.
So Matthew, Ukraine was kind of buried towards the end of Biden's address. And he said Putin's war was a test for the world and a test for America. Here's a little more from Joe Biden, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Would we stand for the most basic principles? Would we stand for sovereignty? Would we stand for the right of people to live free of tyranny? Would we stand for the defense of democracy? For such a defense matters to us because it keeps the peace and prevents open season for would-be aggressors to threaten our security and prosperity.
One year later, we know the answer. Yes, we would. And we did. We did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: This was sort of a moment of look, we kept our promise, everything's great. But you have support for Ukraine and U.S. military assistance and other financial aid going there dropping among Republicans. Was this a missed opportunity for Biden to explain why Putin is a threat to U.S. national security, and why U.S. support is critical?
MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, NATIONAL SECURITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN: No, I think that the American public knows that argument. And then maybe a little tired of it right now. What they wanted to see tonight, to the extent that anybody was watching, honestly, was a president who was focused on domestic problems, a president who was focused on their problems, which is why when he did bring up Putin, he brought up Putin juxtaposed against big pharma, and drug prices.
And when he brought up Ukraine, he brought up American policy in Ukraine, not just in terms of American values and supporting those in Ukraine, but in terms of breaking inflation, in terms of it being in our economic interest to support Ukraine.
VAUSE: OK, so let's look at some of the polls, because there's a lot of them out right now, a lot of polls have been released. And there's a common thread that shows this growing partisan divide across the United States when it comes to American support for Ukraine.
Gallup found 47 percent of Republicans say the U.S. is doing too much, 48 percent of Democrats believe it's about right. An NBC News poll 63 percent of Republicans opposed to providing more funding and weapons to Ukraine, while 33 percent were in support.
You know, Pew Research also found an increase in Democrat opposition to support Ukraine, up from 10 to 15 percent. But for the most part, it's Republican support, which seems to be eroding.
So, what's driving that, because Ukraine was once a bipartisan issue?
SCHMIDT: Well, the Republican Party or at least branches of the Republican Party are driving that message on purpose. This is something that they see as a wedge issue against not just Biden but against Democrats, you know, in the upcoming election. And so they're going to use this anyway they can to gain seats.
[00:30:19]
One of the things that the rest of the world needs to remember about the United States is, we don't have a national election. We have 435 local elections. And so just because you see those numbers where 63 percent of the population's, you know, support for Ukraine is going down, that matters less than what it is in a particular district in Pennsylvania.
VAUSE: Well, there's no hesitation when it comes to support from Europe, in particular Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. They're sending at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. These are the older model ones, commissioned back in 1965.
They should arrive in the next few months. So how do these tanks stack up against the old Russian tanks? SCHMIDT: Well, I think people misunderstand how these tanks are going
to be used. The top-line tanks are going to be sort of out front, protecting the second-tier tanks.
And what really matters is in the rear, you have all these armored personnel carriers and on fees and these types of things. You don't need a tank to kill a tank.
So all of these vehicles are going to have mounted on them anti-tank weapons, and they're going to be carrying in infantry to try to break through and get behind Russian lines, to get past that defensive line.
So this isn't going to be tank on tank. So those kind of comparisons really sort of miss the point.
VAUSE: Well, the larger point, though, here, will they -- will these tanks do the job, I guess, is the question?
SCHMIDT: I think that they can when you match them up with these other weapons systems. And I think the most important thing is with the combined arms maneuver training that's been going on in Germany and other places.
If Ukraine can operate units and 500 personnel with this kind of -- these kinds of weapons systems in unison each other, they're going to make a lot of gains on the battlefield.
VAUSE: Matthew, thank you for being up late for us. We really appreciate that. Thank you.
SCHMIDT: My pleasure, John.
VAUSE We'll take a short break. When we come back, signs of hope. Rescuers pulling more survivors from the rubble of that massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Our coverage continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquake in Turkey and Syria has topped 7,900. Tens of thousands are injured, as well.
But there is still hope for survivors, as rescue teams pull more people from beneath the rubble.
The 7.8 magnitude quake was one of the strongest to hit the region in almost a century. Thousands of buildings have collapsed. Rescue efforts have been hampered by freezing conditions, blocked roads, damaged infrastructure, and violent aftershocks.
[00:35:08]
In Turkey, a moment of relief and joy, though, as teams pulled a three-year-old from the rubble.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: In Northern Syria, a newborn girl was rescued from the rubble of her home and is now being treated in hospital. A relative says the baby's umbilical cord was still attached to her mother when she was found, and she is believed to be the sole survivor from her family.
In another Syrian village, this young girl covered her sibling while waiting for rescuers to free them. Her father tells CNN the whole family survived, even though they've been buried beneath the rubble for hours.
Aid agencies are particularly worried about quake victims in Syria, where nearly 70 percent of the population was already relying on humanitarian assistance before this disaster. Years of civil war have only complicated search-and-rescue efforts, leading many to take to the rubble with their bare hands.
We get more now from CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Little Rava (ph) has lost her mother; both her siblings, too, all three killed by a massive earthquake that leveled her home.
This was Rava (ph) just a few hours before, rushed to safety after she was pulled out of the rubble, her clothes stained with blood.
The toddler will be cared for by her uncle, while her father recovers in hospital from his wounds, activists say.
This is a place all too familiar with heartbreak. Devastated by nearly 12 years of war, there was little left to cope with yet another catastrophe.
Northwestern Syria was rattled by a 7.8 magnitude quake and dozens of aftershocks. But in the first moments, traumatized residents wondered if warplanes were overhead again.
Torn apart by civil conflict, the response to this disaster is divided among political lines. In the rebel-held province of Idlib, rescue workers known as the White Helmets labor through the night to pull out the dead and the living.
Drone shots reveal the scope and scale of their grim task, while countless families searching for missing loved ones endure an agonizing wait.
But help can't reach everyone. In remote areas, relatives are desperately digging with bare hands. "My family is underneath the rubble, my children and grandchildren,"
this man says, "but there's no way to get them out, no one to rescue them, no machinery. I think they're still alive. We hear their voices."
Any survivors found are rushed to overwhelmed hospitals like this one, where beds for patients have run out, the dead lay bleeding on the floor, and the body bags keep piling up.
In government-controlled areas, residents are largely cut off from the international aid being poured into the disaster zone. President Bashar al-Assad's regime is heavily sanctioned by the West for bombarding his own people.
Here, it's Syria's supporters, the patrons of the conflict, Russia and Iran, offering aid. Moscow's troops are supporting search and recovery efforts, and President Putin has vowed to send more help.
But disaster knows no politics. Here, families are desperate for news, too.
"I can't find my sister," this woman says. "She lived on the second floor with her son and three daughters. Maybe they didn't get out. We've checked the hospitals. We've looked everywhere for them. God, I hope they're OK."
Syrians feel their plight was long forgotten and neglected. Now with their tragedy thrust into the spotlight again, it's up to the world to hear their pleas.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Let's head back live to the quake zone. CNN's Becky Anderson is there for us this hour.
Hi, Becky.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, and we were at the site and just on the other side of it when you and I spoke about a half an hour ago. And so I thought I'd just sort of bring -- bring the camera around this side so you can get a perspective from here.
Because we were talking earlier on about the challenges that these search-and-rescue assets have here, not least because of the buildings that are so insecure around these sites.
You can see this building to the left-hand side of this site. It is -- it's been lilting to the left since we've been here. And there's a real concern that that could come down.
[00:45:08]
So this search-and-rescue, which is ongoing, as we understand it, they still are getting signs of life from what they understand to be a void underneath the rubble.
They'll continue, as long as they get signs of life, before this becomes a recovery effort.
As I said earlier, there are as many as 100, 150 people under here. We haven't seen anybody be brought out alive, but the rescuers say that they do believe there is still sign of life.
But it's the -- it's the concerns that they have, as they are working about this terribly insecure infrastructure on both sides. And this will be reflected across this entire region.
We just heard Salma's report there, and you really do have to spare a thought for those who are on the other side of the border here. The Syrian border is about 100 kilometers South of here. And the support that the victims there are getting is nothing like what we are seeing here, nothing like the sort of heavy equipment that you see around me here, the field hospitals that are being set up.
We've spoken to people who have relatives in both Aleppo and in Idlib who say there is no fuel, water, electricity, heating. There's no heating here, by the way, in Gaziantep, but there is at least electricity. And people therefore can run generators, and therefore, they can get some warmth.
But you have to worry about what's going on in areas that we haven't been able to access yet, because that really is a sobering story about the extent of the destruction and the devastation that this earthquake has wrought -- John.
VAUSE: Becky, thank you for the update there. It is an incredible scene right now. The rescue efforts continue, and it just looks freezing cold, downright miserable. Becky, thank you for that live report.
We'll take a short break. When we come back, the case of the suspected spy balloon continues. Why U.S. officials say the Chinese vessel is part of a bigger spy fleet. Beijing pushing back. We'll have the very latest.
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VAUSE: U.S. intelligence believes the Chinese spy balloon shot down over the weekend is part of a much larger military surveillance program.
The U.S. Navy released new photos showing the recovery of the balloon's debris off the coast of South Carolina. Officials familiar with the intelligence say the balloon was part of a fleet that's conducted at least two dozen missions over at least five continents.
What's left of the balloon will now be examined in an FBI lab.
CNN asked the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment on allegations the balloon was part of a massive surveillance effort. Beijing, though, continues to pretend the balloon was merely a civilian weather vessel, which blew off-course.
Other countries now claim similar spy balloons from China floated over their territory. Taiwan has also been the target of Chinese spy balloons. And the incident, they say, should not be tolerated by the international community.
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Here's CNN's will Ripley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Chinese propaganda video, released just days ago, shows the military muscle of China's People's Liberation Army.
GRAPHIC: Home is separated by two lands.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The PLA promising to reunite with Taiwan, planning to build a bullet train across the Taiwan Strait, pledging to take control of this island of almost 24 million, bringing the self- governing democracy under communist control.
One of the Chinese military's tools, high-altitude balloons. They've been testing them for years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They just shot it.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The U.S. shot down this suspected Chinese spy balloon last week. Beijing calls it a civilian weather balloon.
CNN obtained images of similar Chinese balloons hovering over Taiwan in recent months, including this one on New Year's Eve and this one a few months earlier.
At least four balloon sightings in the last two years, says Su Tzu- yun, director of Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research. He says the island's relatively small size, about the same as the state of Florida, gives Taiwan's military limited time to intercept balloons or even shoot them down.
SU TZU-YUN, TAIWAN INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SECURITY RESEARCH: The spy balloon crossed Montana state, a very important ICBM site of the United States.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Su says balloons can capture high-resolution images of sensitive sites, potentially making China's ICBMs more accurate.
Taipei says Chinese spy balloons should not be tolerated by the international community.
Last year, dozens of civilian drones from China captured videos of Taiwanese military outposts. Soldiers responded with rocks and flares, managing to shoot at least one drone down.
Taiwan's defense ministry says 121 Chinese military planes flew near the island just last month.
LEV NACHMAN, POLITICAL SCIENTIST: So Taiwan is one of those places that is constantly under this kind of threatening surveillance.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Taipei-based political scientist Lev Nachman tells me the balloon scandal sets back months of crucial diplomacy.
U.S.-China tensions could flare up even more if U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy goes ahead with plans to visit Taiwan following former speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip last year, triggering Chinese outrage and massive military drills around Taiwan.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The North Korean leader has been visiting military barracks to mark 75 years since the founding of Korea's People's Army. Images from state media show Kim Jong-un attending a banquet while accompanied by his wife and daughter.
This comes a day after he vowed to ramp up military drills and the country's readiness for war.
A massive military parade is expected sometimes in the coming hours.
Now let's go to CNN's Paula Hancocks live in Seoul. Paula, these images of Kim Jong-un seem to take on added significance, given he's been, what, out of public view for more than a month?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, we're certainly hearing plenty of speculation, as we always do when you don't see him for a few weeks. But he is back in the public eye.
And we're seeing very much a focus on these military events. As you say, it's the 75th anniversary of the founding of the military in North Korea.
Any anniversary here that has a zero or a five at the end is always treated very seriously in Pyongyang. And they always have significant celebrations.
So what we saw today, this Wednesday, in state-run media was that they showed Kim Jong-un, his wife and his daughter, visiting military barracks where the KPA, the Korean People's Army generals lunch.
And he had a banquet. He made a speech. He talked about strengthening the military. And it comes just a day after he had a significant meeting with military leaders, saying that he has to see that war readiness is increased.
He's calling on his -- his military leaders, as well, to increase the amount of combat drills, operational training that they carry out.
This as we are seeing an uptick in the U.S.-South Korean joint training, as well. And what we could see this evening -- now of course, it's not
guaranteed, as nothing ever is in North Korea before they announce it -- is potentially a military parade in Pyongyang. Generally, they are held in Kim Il-sung Square.
What we have seen from many commercial satellite images, which have been pored over by international experts, is that there have been preparations for this. There have been thousands of people in Kim Il- sung Square that have been practicing for this kind of parade at nighttime.
We've seen the last four significant military parades that North Korea has carried out have been carried out at night. So this is what we are expecting potentially tonight local time.
[00:50:00]
Now, it's important, this military parade, not just for North Korea to show its military strength, not just for Kim Jong-un to show what he is capable of, but it is also important for those that watch North Korea around the world looking at exactly what equipment he is showing off.
It is not always what he has achieved that is significant but potentially, what he hopes to achieve, and they will be looking for clues to that -- John.
VAUSE: Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks, live for us in Seoul.
Round three of industrial action in France on Tuesday. More than 750,000 people took to the streets, protesting government plans to raise the retirement age.
The turnout was lower than the previous two rounds of protests, and the strike mainly impacted air and rail transportation.
Disruptions are expected to continue Wednesday. The protests were mostly peaceful, but there were some scuffles.
Police say 17 protesters detained in Paris. The strike comes a day after Parliament began debating the contentious retirement bill.
Defense intelligence in Ukraine is dismissing Russia's claims of gains on the battlefield in Eastern Ukraine, where heavy fighting is ongoing.
Ukraine says its forces continue to defend areas in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, after Russia's defense minister claims Russian troops had taken control of several small settlements.
Russia also claims those operations were progressing near Bakhmut and Soledar.
Meantime, a top Ukrainian official in the Luhansk region says Russian officials in Eastern Ukraine appear to be stockpiling ammunition and building up troop reserves ahead of a full-scale offensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the need for quick
delivery of weapons and military equipment during a meeting with the German defense minister in Kyiv.
Those comments as the German army announced Leopard 2 battle tanks from Germany will be ready for Ukraine to be used at the end of March as hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers are already undergoing training.
Zelenskyy thanked Germany for the support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The recent decisions taken by the tank coalition, in cooperation between our European friends and our ministry of defense, can really give us parity. Not an advantage, though, on the battlefield.
But for this, one needs to understand that everything depends, as always, on the timeframe, on the amount and on the up-to-dateness of the tanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ukraine's defense minister posted this photograph with the German defense minister, who held a miniature model of a Leopard 2 battle tanks.
Older versions of the same tank were also delivered during his visit. The German defense minister announced a joint agreement between his country, Denmark and the Netherlands to send more than 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine by next spring.
After Monday's earthquake, cold weather, a major challenge for rescue crews in Syria and Turkey. We'll have the forecast amid the ongoing race to save lives.
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VAUSE: Officials have confirmed more than 7,900 people are now dead in Syria and Turkey from Monday's earthquake. Hospitals and medical services in both countries are overwhelmed, while ongoing aftershocks are threatening the lives of rescuers as they race to find survivors buried beneath the rubble.
In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a state of emergency in ten provinces for three months. Turkish authorities are asking drivers to stay off the roads, keep them clear for rescue operations.
[00:55:09]
In Syria, aid agencies are warning of an acute humanitarian crisis in the Northwest, which is much of it controlled by anti-government forces.
Another major concern is the weather. Freezing temperatures expected on and off for the next few days. And so for more on that, we go to meteorologist Britley Ritz at the CNN Weather Center.
This is turning out to be a real brutal factor for the search-and- rescue efforts.
BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Temperatures have dropped down near freezing, which makes it dangerous if we're out there for an extended period of time, especially our extremities, our nose, ears and fingers. So that's one thing to just remind ourselves to bundle up as we're out and about.
Current temperatures, right at freezing. Aleppo, two below right now. Expected to stay below zero for several hours through the morning. We'll try to make it above but very unlikely for some of us, especially across central Turkey, where we're at our coldest point for this time of year.
That area of low pressure, slowly moving out. You'll notice the moisture taking off with it. With that comes the clearer skies. So through the overnight hours, all the heat escapes back up into the atmosphere. So it gets much colder.
And of course, the scattered showers and the snow showers. Yes, hit or miss through the rest of today. But we'll wind down here in the next 24 hours. Again, leaving us with clear skies and cold conditions.
Forecast lows through the next three mornings. Aleppo, staying below zero, right at freezing, if not slightly below.
As for the wind chill, yes, we factor in that Northerly wind now as the low kicks off. And with that, a 10- to 15-mile-per-hour wind or kilometer-per-hour wind. We're talking about temperatures that feel like roughly ten below zero at times.
Forecast highs, while still staying below normal, we're at least above zero. Aleppo, expect us right at 8 to 9 degrees over the next three days.
The epicenter, you'll see that area highlighted in white. But many aftershocks over the last 24 hours. And this is going to be an ongoing occurrence once again today as that Arabian plate pushes North against the Anatolian plate. And that East Anatolian plate -- or rather fault line really starts to spark up. That's where we'll have most of those aftershocks again today.
Thankfully, they're starting to weaken a bit, but still many more to come, I'm sure -- John.
VAUSE: Britley, we appreciate the update. Thank you very much for that.
If you're looking for information on ways to help earthquake survivors, go to CNN.com/impact. There, you'll find a list of organizations working on rescue and relief efforts. Again, that's CNN.com/impact.
Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. I'll be back with more news right after this.
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