Maltese rescuers in Turkey have been pulling dead victims out of the rubble of a hotel that collapsed during Monday's earthquake in Turkey but they have still to rescue a survivor, a leading assistant rescue officer at the Civil Protection Department said on Wednesday.

“As more time passes, the hope that we may find people alive diminishes, not least because it is very cold here, Jonathan Callus told Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri in a video call. 

“We worked through the night in a -6 temperature.”

The team of 32 rescuers and a dog arrived in the Turkish town of Malatya on Tuesday morning and immediately got to work, joining Turkish teams.

Callus did not say how many victims they managed to pull out of the debris.

Rescuers from across the world have poured into the affected areas in Turkey, but access to some of the affected areas in Syria is proving to be more difficult because of damaged roads. More than 12,000 people have so far been confirmed dead. 

Callus said the Maltese team faced a number of challenges, such as the language barrier, the freezing temperatures and different work methodologies. 

“We are doing what we can to provide support and aid to these people,” he said. 

The minister praised the team and thanked it for its work.  

The Turkish embassy in Malta has appealed for donations to assist the survivors. Warm clothing items such as raincoats, boots, sweaters, gloves, and scarves for both children and adults are just some of the clothing items people can donate to the embassy in Malta.

The Civil Protection Department is also receiving donations at its centres in Hal Far and Xewkija.