Death toll of Feb. 6 Türkiye earthquakes surpasses 36,000
An excavator clears debris amid collapsed buildings in Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 15, 2023. (AFP Photo)


At least 36,187 people were killed and 108,068 injured by the two massive earthquakes that jolted southeastern Türkiye last week, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said Thursday.

According to a written statement from the AFAD, 4,323 aftershocks occurred after the earthquakes centered in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş.

The Feb. 6 magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaraş province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa and Elazığ.

More than 253,000 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, the AFAD said in a statement.

At least 216,347 people have been evacuated from the quake-hit regions so far, the AFAD added.

The Foreign Ministry on Thursday said a total of 7,098 foreign personnel from 74 nations are currently continuing their efforts in the field.

Some 12,513 vehicles, mainly excavators, tow trucks, cranes, bulldozers, trucks, water trucks, trailers, graders, vacuum trucks and similar construction equipment, were shipped to the disaster area, authorites have reported.

The number of tents sent to the 10 cities heavily affected by the earthquake has surpassed 283,000, while more than 3 million blankets were also shipped by the AFAD, the Ministry of Family and Social Services, the National Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and international countries and organizations.

The installation of 172,225 tents had been completed, the AFAD also reported.