Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll surpasses 11,300-mark
Feb 09, 2023
Ankara [Turkey], February 9 : The death toll from the earthquakes that jolted Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 11,376, CNN reported citing authorities.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that at least 8,574 people have died and nearly 50,000 others have been injured in Turkey. He made the remarks during his visit to disaster areas near the epicentre of Monday's earthquake.
The total number of deaths has now reached 2802 in Syria. As many as 1,540 deaths have been reported in rebel-held regions in the northwest, CNN reported citing White Helmets.
Meanwhile, 1,262 people have died in government-controlled areas of Syria, Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghobash said, CNN reported citing Syrian state media.
The total number of injured people in Syria has reached 5,008, which includes 2,258 in government-controlled areas and 2,750 in the rebel-held parts.
Aid agencies and emergency workers have said that the death toll is likely to rise further with many people still trapped under the rubble and freezing weather conditions hampering rescue efforts, as per the news report.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the state has mobilized all its resources. He said that 6,444 buildings collapsed due to the two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6 rocked the country on Monday.
He made the remarks as he inspected relief efforts in Kahramanmaras province, where two powerful quakes that shook the region, impacting nine other provinces and more than 13 million people.
"We have mobilized all our resources. The state is working with municipalities, especially AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency), with all its means," Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying.
The Syrian government has said that it has established more than 100 shelters equipped with aid supplies for those affected by the earthquake in government-controlled areas, including Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Tartus and Latakia, as per the news report.
A total of 126 shelters have been set up in Aleppo, which is one of the cities that has been most impacted by the earthquake and 52 mosques have been changed into centres for people affected by the earthquake, CNN reported citing SANA.
The government has said that it has provided 23 shelters and transformed 20 mosques into aid centres in Latakia, CNN cited SANA report. Furthermore, 11 shelters have been set up in Hama, Homs and Tartus.
