The death toll in Turkey from the devastating earthquake on February 6 rose to 12,391, Anadolu news agency reported citing the Turkish Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The number of victims, according to the latest data, is 62,914 people.
In neighboring Syria, whose north was also hit by the aftershocks, the death toll is at least 2,950 people, Reuters reported, citing authorities and emergency services from the rebel-controlled part of the country. Syrian state media reported that more than 298,000 people were left homeless.
According to WHO, the earthquake could have affected about 23 million people in Turkey and Syria, including 1.4 million children.
In my country blocked
present tense
A devastating earthquake hit Turkey on the night of February 6. The epicenter of the shocks was in the province of Kahramanmarash, 30 km from the city of Gaziantep and 90 km from the border with Syria: the strength of the shocks reached 7.8 points. The shocks were also felt in neighboring countries: Lebanon, Armenia, Syria.
According to AFAD, after the first earthquake, a total of 435 more occurred, the largest of which was a magnitude 7.6 earthquake centered on Elbistan, which occurred on the afternoon of February 6.
About six thousand buildings in Turkey were destroyed: according to eyewitnesses, many residential buildings simply folded like houses of cards. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the earthquake was the biggest disaster in the country’s history since Erzincan in 1939. Turkey has declared national mourning until February 12. The ten provinces affected by the earthquake have been declared a state of emergency for three months. The country’s authorities have allocated 100 billion liras (about $5.3 billion) to eliminate the consequences of the disaster.
More than 110,000 people are involved in the search and rescue operation, and more than 5,000 rescuers from other countries have also arrived in Turkey.
