Number of Syrian refugees fleeing Aleppo doubles

ALEPPO, Syria, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The number of refugees fleeing the Syrian city of Aleppo has nearly doubled as fighting in the country continues to escalate.

By Saturday morning, 40,000 Syrians were seeking refuge as the country faced Russian airstrikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Approximately 20,000 Syrians made their way to the Turkish border on Friday, only to find it closed as Assad's government made advances on rebel territory.

According to CNN a U.N. official said nearly 321,000 civilians reside in the area east of Aleppo held by the rebels. Families are fleeing in large groups towards Kilis and other cities along the Turkish border.

"Now 10,000 new refugees are waiting in front of the door of Kilis because of air bombardments and attacks against Aleppo," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

Governor of Killis Suleyman Tapsiz , said Trukey is willing to help Syrian refugees.

"Our doors are not closed, but at the moment there is no need to host such people inside our borders," he said.

Turkey has supplied food shelter and blankets to Syrians stranded at the border but it is unclear when they will open their borders to this wave of refugees.

Routes back into Aleppo have been effectively shut down as well as many suspect the beginning of a siege on the city.

"There's the possibility that government forces backed by the Russians would encircle that city and essentially lay siege to that city, and that would obviously exacerbate a terrible humanitarian situation there," Whit House Press secretary Josh Earnest said.