ADDS REMARKS FROM DISASTER AGENCY, EDUCATION MINISTER; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK
By Diyar Guldogan
ANKARA (AA) - At least 1,498 people were killed and 8,533 others injured in 10 provinces when two strong earthquakes jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, the head of the country’s disaster agency said.
Early Monday morning, a strong 7.7 earthquake, centered in the Pazarcik district, jolted Kahramanmaras and strongly shook several provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis.
Later, at 13.24 p.m. (1024GMT), a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras’s Elbistan district struck the region.
Yunus Sezer Sezer, head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), said the quakes had a total of 130 aftershocks, and that 2,834 buildings collapsed.
Nearly 9,700 search and rescue personnel have been assigned to the region, according to AFAD.
There is currently no tsunami threat to Türkiye's Eastern Mediterranean coasts, AFAD said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that with the quake, Türkiye was shaken by the "biggest disaster" since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake.
"Our state has taken action with all its institutions since the earthquake. All resources have been mobilized," he said at the AFAD office in the capital Ankara, where he is coordinating the rescue and relief work.
The president spoke to the mayors of Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis on the phone and learned about search and rescue efforts, according to the presidency.
Vice President Fuat Oktay told a news conference that Erdogan has been following and managing official efforts since the quake struck.
Oktay added that Hatay Airport is currently closed to flights, saying they have also closed Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep to civil flights.
"102 mobile base stations have been sent to the earthquake zones so far," Oktay said.
He also called on all media outlets, institutions, and organizations to rely on official statements in order to guard against misinformation
Later, National Education Minister Mahmut Ozer said all schools in Türkiye will be closed until next Monday, Feb. 13.
Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu said all national sports events in Türkiye have been suspended until further notice.
The earthquake was also felt in several neighboring countries in the region, including Lebanon and Syria.
- Rescue teams on alert
Erdogan conveyed get-well wishes to citizens affected by the earthquake. He added that AFAD and other units are “on alert.”
The president noted that rescue teams were immediately dispatched to areas affected by the earthquake.
"Our Interior Ministry and Health Ministry, AFAD, provincial governorships, and all other institutions started their work rapidly.
"We are also coordinating our work after the earthquake. We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage, and we continue our work," he said.
Türkiye issued a level 4 alarm, which includes a call for international aid, AFAD said in a statement.
Following a discussion with the Turkish Foreign Ministry, AFAD also said international assistance was called for through the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC).
"Assistance offers were received from many countries, especially the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, and the UK," it added.
Meanwhile, healthcare personnel assigned from the National Defense Ministry and the Health Ministry departed from Ankara to the region on two military ambulance planes.
Besides rescue teams, blankets, food, and psychological support teams were also sent to the region.
- Türkiye sets up 'air aid corridor'
After the earthquake, an "air aid corridor" was created by the Turkish Armed Forces to deliver search and rescue teams to the region.
"We mobilized our planes to send medical teams, search and rescue teams, and their vehicles to the earthquake zone. We have maximized the readiness of our aircraft to provide the necessary transportation service," National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
A large number of transport aircraft, including a Turkish Armed Forces A-400M, began to dispatch search and rescue teams and vehicles to the region. Ambulance planes are also using the air aid corridor, Akar added.
"The Turkish Armed Forces continue our efforts to determine damage and casualties. Unfortunately, we have three martyrs. There are also injured," he said.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said a sufficient number of teams from all 81 provinces are on duty in disaster areas and continue their search and rescue and health services.
"Our air and land ambulances are also in service in the region. We are currently carrying out the coordination from Hatay, one of the provinces affected by the earthquake disaster," Koca said on Twitter.
After the earthquake, condolences poured in from around the world, voicing solidarity with Türkiye.
*Seda Sevencan and Enes Calli in Istanbul contributed to this story.