Title: Concerns Over Shocking Death Toll from Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

The World Health Organization has warned that the violent earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey and neighboring Syria may result in a death toll up to eight times higher than the numbers reported until Monday night in a preliminary tally. According to the figures announced by various authorities until late Monday-Tuesday, the earthquake has led to 1,444 dead in Syria and 2,921 dead in Turkey so far. Catherine Smallwood, the emergency cases director at the WHO's European office, told AFP: "There is a continuing possibility of additional collapses, and we often see numbers that are eight times higher than the initial figures." She added: "We always see the same pattern with earthquakes, and unfortunately, this means that the initial numbers of dead or injured will increase significantly in the week following the earthquake."