UAE President orders funeral prayers in absentia be performed for Turkey, Syria quake victims

Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered that funeral prayers in absentia be performed for earthquake victims in mosques across the country.

The prayers will be performed in all mosques across the nation after Friday prayers.

The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed to more than 17,500 on Thursday, as hopes faded of finding survivors stuck under rubble in freezing weather.