Azerbaijan says its rescuers saved 53 people from rubble in quake-hit Türkiye

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan said on Monday that its personnel saved as many as 53 people during search and rescue operations in Türkiye, which was rocked by two powerful quakes earlier this month.

The rescuers, which carried out operations in Kahramanmaras and Hatay, two of the 11 provinces hit by the quakes, also recovered 780 bodies from the debris of collapsed buildings and handed them over to the authorities, the Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement.

In a separate press release, the ministry said two field hospitals established in Kahramanmaras continue to operate, noting that 1,090 people, including 199 children, have so far been provided with high-level medical care.

Besides providing tents, field kitchens, generators and essential supplies, at least 867 Azerbaijani rescue and medical personnel are working in Türkiye since Feb. 6, according to the country's Foreign Ministry.

Nine hours apart and with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 on the Richter scale, the quakes hit southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, claiming the lives of over 41,000 people. The tremblors were also felt in Syria.