LIVE UPDATES: Search, Rescue Operations in Syria's Latakia Province Completed - Governor

Search and rescue operations in Syria's Latakia province after the recent earthquake have been completed, Governor Amer Hilal told reporters.

"The search for those killed in all places of Latakia has been completed, now work is under way to clear the rubble," Hilal said.

The governor said 805 people had been killed in the province by the earthquake, and more than 1,100 had been injured.

Over 41,000 buildings in Turkiye's 10 provinces mostly affected by the earthquakes have been completely destroyed or uninhabitable, Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum said on Monday.

"In 10 provinces affected by the disaster, we have identified 41,791 buildings that either have already collapsed or should be immediately demolished or are in a state of disrepair," Kurum told a briefing. The minister added that the full assessment of the state of buildings in the provinces is expected to be completed by the end of the week.

Griffiths visited over the weekend the areas affected by the recent devastating earthquakes and is expected to soon relay to the United Nations his impressions about the humanitarian situation in the country.

The government of the United Kingdom may consider easing sanctions against Syria to facilitate the process of delivering aid to the country's people affected by devastating earthquakes, UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport Richard Holden said on Monday.

The US Treasury announced on Friday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces sanctions, had authorized a 180-day period for all transactions related to earthquake relief that would be otherwise prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations.

"I think we are looking at everything we can. When it comes to humanitarian circumstances, we always want to do what can help on the ground," Holden told Sky News, adding that London had not made a decision on the issue yet.

Holden added that the UK would work closely with NATO partners, such as the United States, to deliver aid to Syria.

On February 6, parts of Turkiye and Syria were hit by a series of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks.

An order for the arrest of 31 people was issued in the central Turkish province of Malatya as part of the case over buildings destroyed by the deadly earthquakes, a Turkish media outlet reported on Monday.

The prosecutor's office in Malatya launched an investigation into construction defects of the collapsed buildings, the Turkish broadcaster reported. The number of people arrested on the case is expected to grow, the news outlet added.

Japan will send a transport jet of its Self-Defense Forces to Turkiye to help deal with the consequences of deadly earthquakes and keep providing necessary assistance, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday.

"Japan, which survived the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and other natural disasters, is making every effort to help the people affected by the earthquake [in Turkiye]. Today, the second group of 36 medics will arrive at the scene. In order to quickly and purposefully deliver the cargo necessary for the medics, a jet of the Self-Defense Forces will be sent. As soon as all the necessary procedures are completed, today, possibly, a B777 special transport aircraft will take off from Japan," he said.

Matsuno added that the first group of Japanese rescuers had been sent in Turkiye on February 6, and the medical team on February 10. Both groups are working at the scene, he said.

The Boeing-777 usually used as a government plane was considered the best option to transport cargo over the long distance. It took off from the Chitose air base in Hokkaido and will take 15 tonnes of medical equipment, tents, beds and operating tables at Narita Airport near Tokyo. The jet will fly to Turkiye in the afternoon.

The official also said that Japan would sent not only humanitarian but also financial aid to Turkey and Syria, and relevant decisions were already being considered by the government.

"The Japanese government will continue to rapidly provide assistance to the affected areas according to their needs," Matsuno said.

The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) sent a second batch of humanitarian aid to Syria for 10,000 people affected by the devastating earthquakes, Chinese media reported on Monday.

The assistance includes tents, warm jackets, and necessary medicines, the China Central Television broadcaster reported.

Last week, the organization sent medical supplies and rescuers to Syria. In total, the Chinese government allocated about $4.4 million to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the country.

China has also accelerated food aid projects for Syria. Thus, 220 tonnes of wheat have already been sent to Syria, while another 3,000 tonnes of rice and wheat are expected to be sent there in the near future.