Death toll from Türkiye's twin quakes surpasses 47,000
Demolishing and removal works continue in Adıyaman after magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes hit multiple provinces of Türkiye, March 11, 2023. (AA Photo)


The death toll from Feb. 6 earthquakes that hit southeastern Türkiye hit 47,975, the head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said Saturday.

AFAD President Yunus Sezer said 6,278 people who died in the earthquakes were foreign nationals, mostly Syrians.

"We are hosting around 1.8 million people in the region's tents, container cities, and guesthouses. Also, 17,787 containers were set up there," Sezer told reporters.

"We are transferring a large part of the tent stock worldwide to Türkiye. Every day, six planes transfer tents to the region. We are trying to send and set up about 10,000 tents daily in the region," he added.

A total of 332 tent cities were established in the quakes-hit zones, while as of now, 414,323 tents have been set up there, he said.

A total of 935,722 earthquake victims have been evacuated from the affected region. Also, Sezer said around 273,000 victims are being hosted in guesthouses, hotels, and dormitories in other provinces.

He said efforts to remove debris and set up tents are ongoing, adding services for nutrition, education, and psychosocial support to the victims continue in the region.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in Kahramanmaraş province, struck nine other areas in the south and southeast, including Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.