Death toll from February earthquakes in Türkiye rises to 49,589: Vice president

By Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) - The death toll from powerful earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye last month has risen to 49,589, the country’s vice president said on Saturday.

Speaking at a news conference, Fuat Oktay said that 6,807 foreign nationals were also among the dead.

Oktay said that the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has sent 31 billion liras ($1.6 billion) to provinces affected by the earthquakes, while 22.3 billion liras ($1.1 billion) have been sent by public institutions and organizations.

On Feb. 6, the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 provinces — Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

More than 13.5 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the devastating quakes, as well as many others in northern Syria.