
At least 35,418 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 tremors last week were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.
Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said that "13,208 injured are still receiving treatment in our hospitals."
More than 249,000 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said in a statement.
Almost 195,962 people have been evacuated from the quake-hit regions so far, according to AFAD.
Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said a total 15 babies affected by the earthquakes were brought to a hospital in Ankara for comprehensive health checks.
A total of 9,046 foreign personnel from 82 nations are currently working in the disaster zone, the country's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
It also said that 100 countries had offered assistance so far, with two more expected to send rescue teams.
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