STORY: The flood of dramatic and disturbing images from the earthquake area in Turkey and Syria does not stop. A newborn child was among the people rescued from the rubble in the Turkish city of Hatay on Wednesday. However, two days after the devastating tremors in the border area between Turkey and Syria, the hope of further survivors is dwindling. According to official information, more than 11,000 bodies were recovered by Wednesday afternoon. Experts speak of a time window of around 72 hours in which one can hope to free survivors from the rubble of the collapsed houses. Extreme weather conditions in the very large area affected by the disaster make matters worse. Because a severe onset of winter means that temperatures are around freezing in many places. In many places, countless women, men and children had to endure the second night in freezing temperatures outdoors while they waited exhausted and desperate for help. Many slept in cars or on the streets under blankets. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived at one of the sites near the earthquake epicenter on Wednesday. Surrounded by journalists, Erdogan admitted that the first day’s aid had started slowly. There have been problems with roads and airports. But now the situation is under control. He promised help for people who had become homeless and the construction of new houses within a year. On Monday, two severe earthquakes and several aftershocks shook an area that stretched over a good 450 kilometers. According to Turkish authorities, around 13.5 million people have been affected by the disaster. Around 8,500 deaths have now been counted in Turkey alone. Tens of thousands are injured. More than 2,500 deaths have been reported from Syria so far. The situation there is particularly confusing. International aid is difficult to organize. After almost twelve years of civil war, numerous roads and houses in the country were already damaged or destroyed before the disaster.