40,000 dead: 'Disaster of the Century' as thousands are still missing in Turkey and Syria's horrific earthquake

• The devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey has killed over 40,000 people, according to Reuters.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "We can call it the disaster of the century."

The death toll in the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria last week has climbed even higher: 0ver 40,000 people are dead, according to Reuters.

And thousands are reportedly still missing under rubble and collapsed buildings.

In a brief press conference last Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "We can call it the disaster of the century" and said the devastation spans 10 provinces.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, towns and buildings across the two countries were decimated.

Rescuers continued to pull survivors out of the rubble for days after the initial quake. In one case, an 8-year-old boy was rescued from under a collapsed building after being stuck for 52 hours.

A pregnant woman went into labor during the earthquake last Monday and gave birth while trapped under the rubble. Workers were able to rescue the woman's baby but the mother died before they could save her.

According to a cousin who spoke to Agence France-Presse, the child is the lone survivor in their immediate family.

Ghanaian soccer star Christian Atsu was buried under the rubble hours after scoring a last-minute goal to win a league game. There are conflicting reports as to whether he was rescued or remains missing.

Drone footage from Reuters showed the extent of the damage last Wednesday, including at least 6,000 collapsed buildings.

Read more of Insider's coverage of the earthquake and its aftermath.