6th shipment of Iranian relief aid arrives in quake-hit Syria

Alireza Fadavi, Iran’s cultural attaché to Syria, said a plane carrying 19 tons of relief supplies landed in the eastern Syrian city of Latakia.

The plane was loaded with five tons of dates, 269 cartons of powdered milk, five tons of rice, 500 pieces of mattresses, 90 sheets of tents and food packs, he said.

So far, more than 21,000 people are reported to have been killed and thousands more injured in a devastating quake that jolted southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday.

Efforts continue in freezing conditions to save those still trapped under rubble, with the death toll expected to rise further.

Iran has also dispatched aid and rescue workers to Turkey.

While international aid has poured into Turkey, Syria has received little attention due to the sanctions imposed on the country by the US and its Western allies.