Death Toll from Turkey-Syria Earthquake Tops 47,000
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The number of fatalities from the devastating earthquake that struck areas of Turkey and Syria on February 6 is still rising as more bodies are found in the wreckage of destroyed structures.
The recent earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 that hit the already-devastated Hatay region caused further destruction to houses. According to Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, the death toll in Turkey has now reached 43,556, raising the combined total of Turkey and Syria to 47,244.
In an interview with state broadcaster TRT on Wednesday, Soylu stated that teams were searching two buildings in the badly-affected Hatay province for more bodies. Search operations have been concluded elsewhere.
Turkey’s Minister for the Environment and Urbanization, Murat Kurum, has disclosed that 164,000 buildings have either collapsed or require demolition due to severe damage.
Thousands of families are reportedly seeking refuge in cars and tents out of fear that they may experience a recurrence of the earthquake.
