Earthquake death toll surpasses 20,000 as hopes of finding survivors fades

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday surpassed 20,000 on Thursday as hopes of finding survivors in the rubble diminish. 

Most of the deceased are in Turkey, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirming more than 16,500 deaths in his country and over 66,000 injuries, according to CBS News.

Turkey's emergency agency reported experiencing more than 1,200 aftershocks after the initial 7.8 magnitude quake.

The earthquake is now more deadly than the 2011 earthquake that triggered a tsunami in Japan and killed more than 18,400 people.

"The first 72 hours are considered to be critical," Natural Hazards Expert at Nottingham Trent University in the U.K.  Steven Godby said. "The survival ratio on average within 24 hours is 74%, after 72 hours it is 22% and by the fifth day it is 6%."

The cold is a major issue for both people who lost their homes and survivors who are trapped in Turkey and Syria. Turkey says more than 115,000 rescue personnel are working in the region. Syria was already experiencing a humanitarian crisis before the earthquake after more than a decade of civil war.