Turkey quake toll rises above 31,000

ANADOLU AGENCY

ANKARA: At least 31,643 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Turkey on February 6, the country’s disaster agency said on Monday.

Magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centred in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Turkey in the space of less than 10 hours.

More than 238,459 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said in a statement.

Almost 158,165 people have been evacuated from the quake-hit regions so far, AFAD said.

Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday said a total of 9,793 foreign personnel from 74 nations are currently continuing their efforts in the field.