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The tempo of the earthquake rescue operation has changed dramatically in Hatay in southern Turkey.

The province near the Syrian border is one of the areas most impacted by the multiple earthquakes which struck Turkey and Syria this week – if not the worst-hit area.

And the massive scale of the destruction here is utterly mind-blowing.

Now, after days of repeated cries for help and multiple complaints about lack of action and help for the area, it is now flooded with volunteers, aid workers, military police and civil society groups.

Turkey-Syria earthquake – updates: Number of dead nears 12,000

There’s a constant hum of helicopters flying overhead and the scream of sirens everywhere.

There is a stream of ambulances zipping up and down Ataturk Avenue, the main road into the provincial capital, Antakya.

And on Wednesday there are now scores of excavation vehicles and mechanical diggers in the area, as well as winches and cranes to lift the piles of rubble in every corner of this city.

Crushed cars underneath a collapsed building in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake.
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Crushed cars underneath a collapsed building in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake
Collapsed buildings in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake. For Alex Crawford report.

President Erdogan has flown into the earthquake zone today.

His first stop was Kahramanmaras in the southeast, where he admitted there had been mistakes on day one of the relief operation.

He didn’t offer any explanation for the mistakes but insisted everything was now under control.

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Turkish President: Response was slow

Heartbreaking line to read labels on bodies

Certainly, the people of Hatay have seen a marked influx of personnel and aid groups to the area in contrast to the previous two days when there appeared to be woefully little.

But such is the scale of this disaster here, they can’t get too much help right now.

We saw several lines of dead bodies lying on pavements; outside apartment blocks, and placed in the centre of fields.

Search and rescue teams attempt to clear the rubble from a collapsed building in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake. For Alex Crawford report.
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Search and rescue teams attempt to clear the rubble

Sometimes they’re just covered in blankets but others have labels stuck on them.

There’s a heartbreaking line of people checking the labels to see if it’s their loved one who has been found.

One man fell in a heap on the black bag as he recognised the name. This mass mourning means there’s no embarrassment in grief and it is rarely private.

Few have homes to retreat to now so he sobbed long and hard, sitting next to the corpse, unable to wrench himself away.

Bodies are put in black bags in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake. For Alex Crawford report.
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Bodies pulled from the rubble are put in black bags

Survivors too scared to sleep indoors

These past few days have jettisoned Turkey into a dystopian nightmare where there appears to be no safety, and no end to the suffering.

Within a split second, so many homes were transformed into concrete coffins – crushing the inhabitants and traumatising the survivors.

Multiple tremors and aftershocks followed the main earthquake, including a separate second quake which brought down even more buildings or left them seriously structurally unsound.

It has meant thousands and thousands of people are far too scared to sleep indoors or return to their homes – and that’s IF the buildings are in a fit state to return to.

They’re sleeping rough in vehicles if they have them or on the pavements. Some have found shelter in tents which are rapidly being put up.

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Residents gather around a fire near to a collapsed building in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake.
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Residents gather around a fire near to a collapsed building

And yet amid the hourly struggle to just survive this disaster – to find food, keep warm, and keep clean – many relatives are focusing on finding and saving those loved ones they haven’t yet found.

Many insist they can still hear noises from beneath the rubble.

The human body has an incredible capacity to survive. Hope is harder to crush than an eight-storey building, it seems.

‘No help’ as dead made to wait

The urgent search for the living means the dead are having to wait right now.

We saw residents scurrying past groups of bodies laid out on the pavements.

Death doesn’t shock Antakya’s people in quite the same way as it did on 6 February.

But despite the dramatic change in relief efforts here, there are still multiple concerns about the disorganised rescue operations and how they are being conducted.

“We have had no help,” one woman told us. “Those bodies have lain there [on the pavement] for two days now.

“Why do they not clear them?”

She immediately launched into an angry tirade against two volunteers passing by with uniforms on, urging them to come and help clear the collapsed building where her relatives still are.

People attempt to clear the rubble from a collapsed building in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake. For Alex Crawford report.

British team ‘keen to save lives’

We saw a 76-strong team of British search and rescue volunteers who landed in the area and within half an hour had fanned out across four different zones in Antakya to assess the situation and draw up a plan of action to help.

They are the first international team we have spotted here.

Read more:
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Baby born in the rubble and the disaster in pictures
‘Worst kind’ of earthquake explained

British rescue teams help to clear the rubble from a collapsed building in Hatay, southern Turkey, following a devastating earthquake. For Alex Crawford report.
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British experts join the search and rescue efforts

We’re told others have arrived from Russia and Israel – 45 countries have offered their help – but we have seen none on the ground yet in Hatay.

That is until the team of British firefighters trained in search and rescue arrived.

They brought with them four sniffer dogs and specialised search and rescue equipment.

“We’ve been keen to get started,” one of the team told us.

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British rescue dogs aid quake search

Dog handler Neil Woodmansey said: “We are a heavy rescue team and we have the dogs and the equipment and we’re hoping to make a difference.

“The only reason we are here is to try to save lives.

“There’s always hope and there’s lots of evidence to suggest people in the right conditions survive for quite some time so that’s what we’re here for.”

By Alex Crawford, reporting from Hatay in southern Turkey with cameraman Jake Britton, specialist producer Chris Cunningham and Guldenay Sonumut.

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Two dead and hundreds of arrests across France after PSG’s Champions League win

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Two dead and hundreds of arrests across France after PSG's Champions League win

Two people are dead and nearly 560 people were arrested after disorder broke out in France following Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League final, the French interior ministry has said.

The ministry added 192 people were injured and there were 692 fires, including 264 involving vehicles.

A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the city of Dax during a PSG street party after Saturday night’s final in Munich, the national police service said.

The second person killed was a man who was hit by a car while riding a scooter during PSG celebrations, the interior minister’s office said.

Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez has said the man was in his 20s and although the incident is still being investigated, it appears his death was linked to the disorder.

Meanwhile, French authorities have reported that a police officer is in a coma following the clashes.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 A burning bike is seen on
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A burning bike on the Champs Elysees during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

The officer had been hit by a firecracker that emerged from a crowd of supporters in Coutances in the Manche department of northwestern France, according to reports in the country.

Initial investigations reportedly suggest the incident was accidental and the police officer was not deliberately targeted.

The perpetrator has not been identified.

A man walks past teargas during incidents after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. Pic: AP
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A man walks past teargas during incidents after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. Pic: AP

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 A burning bike is seen on
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A burning bike on the Champs Elysees during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

The interior ministry earlier said 22 security forces workers were injured during the chaos – including 18 who were injured in Paris, along with seven firefighters.

In a news conference today, Mr Nuñez said only nine of the force’s officers had been injured in the French capital.

He added that fireworks were directed at police and firefighters were attacked while responding to car fires.

There were 559 arrests across the country during the disorder, including 491 in Paris. Of those detained across the country, 320 were taken into police custody – with 254 in the French capital.

Mr Nuñez said although most people wanted to celebrate PSG’s win, some only wanted to get involved in fights with police.

He also said the force is only at “half-time” in its response because the PSG team will be celebrating their Champions League victory on the Champs Élysées later today.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Riot police on the Champs
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Police in Paris during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

Soccer Football - Champions League - Final - Paris St Germain fans gather in Paris - Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Riot police on the Champs
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Police in Paris during the disorder. Pic: Reuters

Mr Nuñez said that the police presence and military presence in Paris will be increased on the ground for the parade.

It comes after flares and fireworks were set off in the French capital after PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich – the biggest ever victory in a Champions League final.

Around 5,400 police were deployed across Paris after the game, with officers using tear gas and pepper spray on the Champs Élysées.

A man runs away from teargas during incidents on the Champs Elysees avenue after PSG won the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Fireworks explode over police in Paris after PSG win the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

At the top of the Champs Élysées, a water cannon was used to protect the Place de l’Etoile, near the landmark Arc de Triomphe.

Police said a large crowd not watching the match tried to push through a barrier to make contact with officers.

Some 131 arrests were made, including 30 who broke into a shoe shop on the Champs Élysées.

Police have said a total of four shops, including a car dealership and a barbers, were targeted during the disorder in Paris.

Two cars were set alight close to Parc des Princes, police said.

PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé appealed for calm in a post-match interview with Canal+, saying: “Let’s celebrate this but not tear everything up in Paris.”

A PSG supporter on a traffic sign in Paris while red flares are set off after the team won the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pics: AP

PSG supporters invade a street in Paris after the team won the Champions League. Pic: AP

After the final played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, thousands of supporters also tried to rush the field.

Police lined up in front of the PSG end of the stadium at the final whistle, but struggled to contain the fans for several minutes when they came down from the stands following the trophy presentation.

PSG fans rush the field at Allianz Arena in Munich after the team win the Champions League. Pic: AP
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Pics: AP

Police try to contain PSG fans on the field at Allianz Arena in Munich. Pic: AP

Désiré Doué, the 19-year-old who scored two goals and assisted one in the final, said after the game: “I don’t have words. But what I can say is, ‘Thank you Paris,’ we did it.”

Despite being a supporter of PSG’s rivals Olympique de Marseille, French President Emmanuel Macron also said on social media: “A glorious day for PSG!

“Bravo, we are all proud. Paris, the capital of Europe this evening.”

Mr Macron’s office said the president would receive the players at the Elysee Palace on Sunday.

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Hamburg hospital fire kills three as people call for help from windows

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Hamburg hospital fire kills three as people call for help from windows

Three patients have been killed and dozens of other people were reportedly injured after a fire at a hospital in Germany.

The blaze broke out in a room in the geriatric ward of the Marienkrankenhaus early on Sunday.

It started on the ground floor and spread to the level above, with smoke affecting much of the four-storey building in the city of Hamburg.

Firefighters were alerted soon after midnight.

They said they found several patients calling for help from windows, and some people were rescued using ladders.

Fire at the Marienkrankenhaus hospital. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Hospital fire. Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Three adults died and more than 30 were injured in the fire, the German news agency dpa said.

One of the injured is in a life-threatening condition, while 18 have serious injuries and 15 have minor injuries, the agency added.

Read more from Sky News:
Two dead and hundreds of arrests in France after PSG win
Britain has ‘lost control’ of its borders, says minister

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Part of the building had to be evacuated, though the wounded were mostly treated at the hospital.

Two injured people were taken to other nearby clinics.

The blaze was put out within about 20 minutes. The cause is not yet known.

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At least 26 people killed in Israeli attack near aid distribution site, Gaza health ministry says

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At least 26 people killed in Israeli attack near aid distribution site, Gaza health ministry says

At least 26 people have been killed near an aid distribution centre in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry.

Earlier, a nearby hospital run by the Red Cross reported that at least 21 people had been killed. The hospital, which has been receiving bodies and the wounded, also said another 175 people had been injured.

Witnesses said the deaths came after Israeli forces opened fire at a roundabout near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub, a new aid organisation backed by Israel and the US.

However, Palestinian and Hamas-linked media have attributed the deaths it has reported on to an Israeli airstrike.

It is not yet clear if eyewitnesses and Hamas-affiliated media are giving different accounts of the same incident.

Sky News has contacted the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for comment.

Witnesses tell of shooting

The area where the reported shooting took place is controlled by Israeli forces.

Ibrahim Abu Saoud, an eyewitness, said Israeli forces opened fire at people moving toward the aid distribution centre.

“There were many martyrs, including women,” the 40-year-old man said. “We were about 300 metres away from the military.”

Abu Saoud said he saw many people with gunshot wounds, including a young man who he said had died at the scene. “We weren’t able to help him,” he said.

Mohammed Abu Teaima, 33, said he saw Israeli forces open fire and kill his cousin and another woman as they were heading to the hub.

He said his cousin was shot in his chest and died at the scene. Many others were wounded, including his brother-in-law, he said.

“They opened heavy fire directly toward us,” he said as he was waiting outside the Red Cross field hospital for word on his wounded relative.

Palestinians arrived to collect aid from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub in Rafah last week. File pic: Reuters
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Palestinians arrived to collect aid from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub in Rafah last week. File pic: Reuters

Controversial new aid system

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) operates as part of a controversial aid system which Israel and the US says is aimed at preventing Hamas from siphoning off assistance.

Israel has not provided any evidence of systematic diversion, and the UN denies it has occurred.

The foundation’s distribution of aid has been marred by chaos, and multiple witnesses have said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the delivery sites.

UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to work with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles because it allows Israel to control who receives aid and forces people to relocate to distribution sites, risking yet more mass displacement in the territory.

Before Sunday, at least six people had been killed and more than 50 wounded, according to local health officials.

Read more:
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From 31 May: Moment Israeli warplane strikes Gaza

GHF says aid distributed ‘without incident’

The foundation says the private security contractors guarding its sites did not fire on the crowds, while the Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions.

The foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the hospital’s claims.

In an earlier statement, it said it distributed 16 truckloads of aid early on Sunday “without incident”. It dismissed what it referred to as “false reporting about deaths, mass injuries and chaos”.

Meanwhile, the UN’s aid system has struggled to bring in aid after Israel slightly eased its total blockade of the territory last month.

Those groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza’s roughly two million Palestinians.

Experts have warned that the Palestinian territory is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in.

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From 29 May: Meet Gaza’s paramedics

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.

They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 54,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants.

The offensive has destroyed vast areas of the territory, displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.

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