Death toll from powerful earthquakes in Southern Turkey rises to 42,310

ANKARA - At least 42,310 people have been killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Turkey on Feb 6, the country’s disaster management agency said Tuesday.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said the quakes, centred in Pazarcik and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaras province, were followed by 7,184 aftershocks, Anadolu Agency reported.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 10 other provinces - Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa.

More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Turkey in the space of fewer than 10 hours.

A total of 14,740 local and international search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, AFAD noted.

Separately, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced at a press briefing that at least six people were killed and 562 others wounded with 18 in critical condition after a fresh earthquake jolted Turkey’s southernmost province of Hatay late Monday. - BERNAMA