South West responds to Turkey-Syria earthquake as survivors 'fear for their lives'

Watch Marina Jenkins' report

Thousands of donations have been flooding into mosques and drop-off points across the South West for those devastated by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Monday's magnitude 7.8 earthquake - which has so far killed more than 11,000 people - hit a huge area and brought down thousands of buildings, with freezing temperatures and ongoing aftershocks complicating rescue efforts.

At the Turkish Community Centre in Bristol, volunteers are working around the clock to load donations into a lorry before it leaves for Heathrow airport tomorrow morning (9 February).

Nurefsan Yilmaz, who is coordinating the operation, explained how the donations will get to Turkey: "Everything that is useable, we're putting them into boxes, we're labelling them. Then they're going onto the lorry and some accompanying vans.

"The lorry is then going to Heathrow Airport and Turkish Airlines who have allocated a couple of planes to carry cargo to the affected areas.

"Some of the airports in the affected areas have been designated for cargo, so they'll go directly there and be distributed."

The Turkish and Syrian communities in Gloucester are also collecting donations.

Alastair Chambers, who is leading the collection, said: "What's truly amazing is that a lot of people made a big point about Ukraine and people delivering to Ukraine because it's on the edge of Europe and it's so close it's like our neighbours.

"But this shows that the UK delivers, wherever it may be in the world. Whoever they are, race, colour, creed, gender, whatever it may be."The people of Gloucester are here to help."

When asking people who were dropping off donations why they felt it was important to do so, one said: "They've got nothing now. We've got so much. It's the least we can do."

Another added: "I just really want them to get a better life than what they're having at the moment."

Across the border, people in Syria are suffering as sending aid there is much harder. Currently there is only one crossing place into the country, but it's hoped the UN will be able to negotiate more.

Serkhan Karahan, who is helping with the donations in Bristol, said: "I hope they can find a solution so we can take things to Syria as well. They need to help as much as Turkish people."

Sahin Tuncel, who is from Turkey but lives in Gloucester, has many family and friends who have been displaced by the earthquakes.

He said: "It's snowing really badly, people are living in tents. They can't get hold of food, fuel, water supplies, electrics are down, telephone lines are down.

"People are suffering really badly, all over Turkey not just where the earthquake hit. People are fearing for their lives".