Death toll exceeds 45,000 in Türkiye’s major earthquake disaster

ISTANBUL

The death toll has surpassed 45,000 after the devastating earthquakes that rattled Türkiye in February, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has said, informing that the tremor-hit region has faced over 11,000 aftershocks since the disaster.

Announcing the latest death toll and updating about the post-earthquake response and assistance to quake survivors in a written statement late on Feb. 28, AFAD said that the earthquakes claimed the lives of some 45,089 people.

Eleven provinces in the country’s Southeastern Anatolian region were strongly hit by 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, respectively. Hatay and Kahramanmaraş were two cities most severely hit by the earthquakes. Adana, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Malatya, Kilis, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır and Elazığ were other cities hit by the disaster.

The number of people evacuated from the region is slightly less than 2 million, AFAD stated. Post-earthquake works are being carried out by 6,368 personnel from AFAD and search and rescue teams from different military and civilian units. This personnel use more than 18,000 vehicles, including trucks, excavators, earth movers, sewage trucks, etc.

An air corridor is still being used for the transport of personnel and humanitarian aid as well as necessary equipment, AFAD said. Some 116 helicopters and 76 planes that belong to air forces, land forces, naval forces, Coast Guard, and the Police Department as well as relevant ministries are being used in this corridor. A total of 38 ships of the Defense Ministry and Coastal Guard are also being used to deliver help to the earthquake survivors.

1.9 million victims sheltered

More than 358,000 tents have been set up in 332 spots in the entire 11 provinces for the survivors, AFAD said.

Container cities are being set up in 162 spots across 10 quake-hit provinces, AFAD added, reiterating that more than 1.9 million people are being sheltered in all these tents, containers, dormitories, hotels, guest houses and other places.