The water supply system in the northwestern Syrian province of Aleppo, outdated and damaged by the war, is in danger of collapsing after the February 6 earthquake, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned today.

The earthquake and Tuesday's aftershocks on the Syrian side of the border killed about 6.000 people, most of the victims in the rebel-held area near the border with Turkey.

The earthquake also caused direct damage to the water infrastructure there, reducing its efficiency and increasing the risk of contaminated water, the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said, warning of a "possible collapse" of the water system.

- The possibility of devastating public health consequences as a result of the earthquake is terrifyingly great, said Fabrizio Carboni, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross for the Near and Middle East.

Cholera has already spread in parts of Syria, and at least two deaths have been reported so far from the earthquake.

Many rooftop water tanks were also destroyed during the earthquake, putting additional pressure on a system already damaged by 12 years of civil war.