Over 44,370 dead from powerful Feb. 6 earthquakes in SE Türkiye
A worker looks on debris of collapsed buildings after a powerful earthquake, in Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 19, 2023. (EPA Photo)


At least 44,374 people have died in the two strong earthquakes that jolted southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, an official from the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Sunday.

Yunus Sezer, head of AFAD, said search and rescue work has been completed in nearly 21,000 buildings, adding, "We are now fully focused on debris removal."

At least 9,900 aftershocks have been recorded since the two major quakes, Sezer said.

More than 230,000 personnel are currently working in the field, he added.

Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.

"(Some) 1,180 personnel from the international search and rescue teams are still trying to support humanitarian aid activities," Sezer said.

He added that 116 helicopters and 78 aircraft sent humanitarian aid and tents to the region.

"We send more than 10,000 tents to the regions on average daily, and we deliver them to the most remote corners. We currently have 287 tent cities in the region," Sezer said.

More than 1.5 million affected people are hosted in tents, container cities and public guesthouses in the disaster areas, Sezer said, adding 563,000 people were evacuated outside the disaster area.

The Feb. 6, 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude quakes with the epicenter in Kahramanmaraş province struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.