Death toll in Turkiye-Syria earthquake climbs over 41,000

Death toll in Turkiye-Syria earthquake climbs over 41,000

Ankara/ Damascus (Web Desk/Agencies): The death toll from last week’s deadly earthquake in Turkiye and Syria has risen to more than 41,000.

According to the Turkish authorities, 35,418 people have been killed in the country.

On the other hand, the Syrian government and the United Nations (UN) stated that more than 5,800 people have been killed in Syria.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has launched an appeal for $397 million to help earthquake victims in Syria, saying the funds would bring "life-saving relief" for nearly five million Syrians and would cover a period of three months.

According to Turkiye’s Disaster Management Authority (AFAD), the 7.8 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (0117GMT) on February 6 and was centered in the Pazarcik district in Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaras. The quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles).

AFAD said in a statement that 78 aftershocks occurred following the earthquake. Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces are heavily affected by the quake.