Turkey
The eased visa restrictions are for quake survivors in Turkey and Syria who have close family ties to Germany if they are facing homelessness or were injured.
The death toll was certain to keep increasing as search teams locate more bodies in the rubble.
Turkish President Recep Tayypi Erdogan referred to the quake as the “disaster of the century."
Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power 20 years ago amid the aftermath of a massive earthquake and a financial crisis. The same conditions exist now.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
The flurry of rescues could not obscure the overwhelming devastation of what Turkey’s president called one of the greatest disasters in his nation’s history.
The earthquake affected an area that is home to 13.5 million people in Turkey and an unknown number in Syria.
The girl was the only member of her family to survive from a building collapse Monday in the small Syrian town of Jinderis, next to the Turkish border.
The catastrophic earthquake marks the deadliest quake worldwide in more than a decade.
Political pressures and changing weather could hamper the humanitarian efforts.
The official said injuries and fatalities linked to severe earthquakes often rise “significantly” in the week after the disaster.