Erdogan: recent earthquake worst in Turkey's history

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President Erdogan has announced that the earthquake death toll has reached 35,418 making it the deadliest in the country's history.

"May the souls of 35,418 of my citizens who died in this disaster rest in peace," he said, speaking at the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) office in Ankara.

The 1939 Erzincan earthquake, which claimed the lives of over 33,000 people, was surpassed by the earthquake on February 6 as the deadliest natural disaster in Turkey's history.

Erdogan reported that 61 states sent 344 flights carrying humanitarian aid to the nation.

According to the president, there are about 250,000 workers from 71 Turkish regions operating to contain the damage inflicted by the earthquake.

He estimated that 2.2 million people have been evacuated and 1.6 million earthquake victims have received temporary shelter from the Turkish government.

Read more: Turkey expels dozens of quake-affected Syrian families from shelters

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday was one of the deadliest natural disasters this century, and according to a report by The New York Times, dozens of countries sent rescue teams to help in the search. Experts warned that the window for finding survivors was closing in the aftermath of the quake.

Following the earthquakes, several Western countries mobilized rapidly to send aid and rescue workers to Turkey but excluded Syria.

Read more: Death toll from earthquake tops 5,100 in Turkey, Syria