ANKARA — Over 21000 people have died in Turkey and Syria from devastating earthquake that hit the region on Monday.
17,674 fatalities were reported by Turkish authorities and 3,377 fatalities by officials in Syria, increasing the confirmed death toll to 21,051.
In Kahramanmaraş, one of the provinces in southern Turkey that was severely hit by the earthquake on Monday, at least 28,044 people have been evacuated, including 23,437 by air and 4,607 by road and rail, according to Türkiye’s disaster management agency.
Those stuck beneath the rubble for days were still being extricated by rescuers.
Since two earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 and 7.6 struck Turkey, AHAD, the Turkey’s disaster management agency, reported recorded around 650 aftershocks making rescue efforts even more difficult and dangerous as emergency teams comb through severely damaged buildings.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency in the provinces devastated by the earthquake.