Death toll rises above 12000 after earthquakes in Türkiye
Monday's twin quakes, centered in Kahramanmaras, affected several other provinces
At least 12,873 people were killed and 62,937 others were injured by two strong earthquakes which jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, the country’s disaster agency said on Thursday.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, were felt by 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, felt strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours.
More than 113,200 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said in a statement.
“As a result of negotiations with the Turkish Foreign Ministry, 5,709 personnel coming from other countries to give help were dispatched to the disaster area,” it added.
Besides rescue teams, blankets, tents, food, and psychological support teams were also sent to affected areas.
A total of 92,738 family tents were set up to shelter survivors, AFAD also said.
It added that 5,557 vehicles, including excavators, tractors and dozers, were sent to the disaster area.
