Death toll from February earthquakes in Türkiye rises to 49,589

The death toll from powerful earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye last month has risen to 49,589, the country’s vice president said on Saturday, Turanews.kz reports citing Anadolu Agency.

Speaking at a news conference, Fuat Oktay said that 6,807 foreign nationals were also among the dead.

Oktay said that the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has sent 31 billion liras ($1.6 billion) to provinces affected by the earthquakes, while 22.3 billion liras ($1.1 billion) have been sent by public institutions and organizations.

On Feb. 6, the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 provinces — Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

More than 13.5 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the devastating quakes, as well as many others in northern Syria.