The death toll from a devastating series of earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria this month has passed 50,000.
The milestone was confirmed as thousands of Syrian refugees who had fled years of war returned to Syria from earthquake-hit cities in Türkiye.
Turkish authorities said 18,000 Syrian migrants returned to their country this month.
Many claimed they came to Türkiye, which is home to more than three-and-a-half million Syrian refugees, to escape the civil war, but the earthquakes were even more frightening than the conflict.
According to government estimates, more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees lived in the 10 southern Turkish provinces devastated by this month’s earthquakes.
Most relied on temporary or international protection status, which confines them to the provinces where they are registered residents.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Syrian government ceased air strikes on rebel-held territory for several weeks, but on Friday, at least one strike hit a rebel-held zone in north-west Syria.
At least two people were killed.
Rescuers said they died when they were hit while riding a motorcycle in an area heavily affected by the earthquake.
There was no immediate confirmation of the target of the strike.
On Friday night, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced the earthquake death toll in Türkiye rose to 44,218 on Friday night.
With Syria's latest announced death toll of 5,914, the combined death toll in the two countries rose to more than 50,000.
On Friday, Turkish authorities began work to rebuild homes after more than 160,000 buildings containing 520,000 apartments collapsed or were severely damaged in the earthquakes.
Many survivors have left the region of southern Türkiye that was hit by the quake or have been settled in tents, container homes and other government-sponsored accommodation.
Facing an election within months, President Tayyip Erdogan pledged to rebuild homes within a year, although experts said the authorities should put safety before speed.
Some buildings that were meant to withstand tremors crumbled in the latest earthquakes.
"For several projects, tenders and contracts have been done. The process is moving very fast," an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity and saying there would be no compromise on safety.
Rebuilding could cost $37 billion
Mr Erdogan's government has endured a wave of criticism over both its response to the devastation and what many Turks say were years of non-enforcement of construction quality control.
The Turkish government's initial plan now is to build 200,000 apartments and 70,000 village houses at a cost of at least $15 billion, he said.
US bank JPMorgan had estimated rebuilding houses and infrastructure will cost $US25 billion ($37 billion).