Over 29,600 dead from powerful earthquakes in southern Türkiye

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) – At least 29,605 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye this week, the country's disaster agency said on Sunday.

Last Monday’s magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, also including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

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 233,000 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

Almost 148,000 people have been evacuated from quake-hit regions so far, AFAD said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the history of Türkiye is being challenged by one of the biggest quake disasters in the country's southern provinces.

Inspecting ongoing search, rescue, and relief efforts, Erdogan has so far visited Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Adana, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Kilis, Adiyaman, and Malatya, where he met with earthquake victims.

The Turkish parliament on Thursday approved a three-month state of emergency to speed up aid efforts and keep public order.

The country is also observing seven days of national mourning in the wake of the disaster.

Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.