Earthquake death toll tops 3,700 in Turkey: Authorities
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reports on Turkey's earthquake's recent death and injury toll.
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Men search for people among the debris in a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. A powerful quake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and Syria and many casualties are feared. (AP)
Turkey's earthquake death toll increased to 3,703, and the number of injured to 22,286, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Tuesday.
"At the moment, 3,703 people have died, and 22,286 have been injured," the ministry said.
A fire that spread on Monday evening to the port of Iskenderun in southeastern Turkey has been extinguished, the country's defense ministry said on Tuesday.
The fire in the port area broke out in containers with cargo that capsized during the earthquake. Now, the port is not working because the earthquake resulted in damaging its infrastructure.
"The fire in the port of Iskenderun has been extinguished thanks to the efforts of the helicopters of the ground forces and the aircraft of the Turkish Air Force," the defense ministry said.
This comes after a new earthquake hit Turkey again at a magnitude of 5.3, following the major 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.
Damaging M7.8 EQ hit southern Turkey near the Syrian border ~4am local time. PAGER is red for this event; extensive damage is probable. Our hearts go out to those affected. See @Kandilli_info for local info. https://t.co/dMyc6ZVrE1 https://t.co/0OxrznZf1v pic.twitter.com/eco071JqVm
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) February 6, 2023
The initial quake was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including a 7.5-magnitude tremor that shook the region.
The earthquake hit near Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey at 04:17 am (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers (11 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
🔔#Earthquake (#deprem) M4.5 occurred 10 km W of #Göksun (#Turkey) 14 min ago (local time 09:40:55). More info at:
— EMSC (@LastQuake) February 7, 2023
📱https://t.co/LBaVNedgF9
🌐https://t.co/6UIK3GxMfJ
🖥https://t.co/WhvaYjV5AP pic.twitter.com/chw8rqMweO
Turkey is in one of the world's most active earthquake zones. The country's last 7.8-magnitude tremor was in 1939 when 33,000 died in the eastern Erzincan province.
The Turkish region of Duzce suffered a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999 when more than 17,000 people died.