Turkish flag carrier evacuates more than 417,000 quake victims

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye's flag carrier Turkish Airlines has so far evacuated 417,199 earthquake victims from quake-hit provinces, its general manager said on Wednesday.

Via 2,442 round trip flights, 277,439 search and rescue staff and aid personnel were also transferred to the provinces, Bilal Eksi tweeted.

Turkish Airlines also operated 418 cargo flights and carried 16,062 tons of aid material to the disaster zone, he added.

More than 45,000 people have died in the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, which centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces as well on Feb. 6 – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig.