Turkey earthquake: Death toll rises above 45,000, over 1 lakh injured
Ankara (Turkey), March 5: As many as 45,089 people were killed and 1,15,000 injured in the Turkey earthquake, the latest statement of AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency) said.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Southern Turkiye in the early hours of February 6, with its epicentre in the Pazarcik district of Kahramanmaras province. The earthquake impacted the neighbouring provinces of Adiyaman, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Elazig, and Adana, which are home to approximately 14 million people, including approximately 1,8 million Syrian refugees.
After 9 hours, a second major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck the region, causing additional severe damage and the destruction of damaged buildings.
Aftershocks continued after the Kahramanmaras quakes. A 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Hatay on 20 February, with the epicentre in Defne district, and a 5.6 magnitude earthquake in Malatya on 27 February caused the collapse of many damaged buildings and added to the death toll.
STL's previous Situation Report was published on February 28. From February 28 to March 3, several regional developments are listed below.
According to the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) '2023 Earthquakes Displacement' report, a total of 2.7 million people fled the disaster area.
To avoid a "second disaster," the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned of the urgent need for a sustainable short- and long-term response to health, mental health, and psychosocial needs in Turkey and Syria.
Turkiye's Minister of National Education announced that 202,817 students affected by the disaster had been relocated to other cities.
According to UNICEF, 2.5 million children in the disaster zone require immediate humanitarian assistance.
Turkiye's President declared that 2,14,000 buildings had been destroyed or severely damaged and would be demolished immediately.
According to the Turkish government, 911,942 people affected by the disaster received psychosocial support at four mobile social service centres in the provinces of Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, and Malatya.
- ANI
