UPDATE - More than 41,100 dead from powerful Feb. 6 earthquakes in southern Türkiye

ADDS DETAILS; REMOVES NUMBER OF INJURED

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - At least 41,156 people were killed by the two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, officials said Monday in the latest figures from the natural disaster.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig.

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.

More than 250,000 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) head Yunus Sezer told a press briefing.

At least 485,682 people have been evacuated from the quake-hit regions so far, he added.

Sezer also said over 3,200 foreign personnel from various countries are currently continuing work in the field.

Saying that the search and rescue efforts are mostly coming to an end and the work continues mainly in the southernmost Hatay province, Sezer noted that search and rescue efforts continue in 15 buildings.

Meanwhile, a large chunk of Türkiye's construction equipment inventory is located in the region, and 15,250 pieces of construction equipment continue to operate, he said.

He noted that aircraft are being extensively used in humanitarian aid work as well as in dispatching search and rescue teams.

In that regard, 78 airplanes and 116 helicopters are actively working and have done over 11,500 sorties to reach villages and regions across the quake-hit region, Sezer said.

According to AFAD official, nearly 300,000 tents have been distributed across the region, adding that nearly 7,000 containers have been set up for quake victims' use.