More Than 45 000 Dead in Türkiye After Earthquakes

Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported Wednesday that the death toll from the Feb. 6 earthquakes striking 11 of the country's provinces has risen to 45 089.

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According to the agency, the strong earthquakes affected the provinces of Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.

There were more than 11 020 aftershocks since the initial 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude quakes, AFAD said, adding that a total of 1 971 589 people have been evacuated and have requested to move to other districts or provinces.

The agency said 6 368 search and rescue team members are still working in the area. It also said that more than 358 000 tents have been set up for earthquake victims and container cities are being established in 11 provinces and 332 locations.

Our evacuations from the disaster area continue under AFAD coordination. The total number of people who were evacuated by @jandarma and who were evacuated by their own means and registered by applying to the Governor's Office and District Governor's Office; 1 971 589.

Türkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild housing within a year in the country, where the worst catastrophe in its modern history left more than 160 000 buildings with 520 000 apartments collapsed. 

"We will finish this work quickly with a process of urban transformation in which ideological perversions, individual ambitions, institutional fanaticism and political sabotage will not be able to prevent it," Tayyip Erdogan said via his official Twitter account.