The death toll in Turkey has surpassed 40,000 due to the devastating earthquake. The numbers are expected to rise further amid expectations that authorities will decide to stop the search for quake survivors, with many still unaccounted for,
Some 264,000 apartments have been destroyed following the worst disaster in Turkey’s modern history. Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors under the rubble.
The death toll from the Kahramanmaras earthquake has risen to 40,642, said Yunus Seizer, head of Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency. The search for people trapped under the rubble has ended in most provinces. “We think we will end the search and rescue efforts by (this) Sunday night on the 19th.”
He added: “Perhaps we are facing the greatest disaster in history. Unfortunately, the devastation of the two earthquakes and aftershocks – more than thousands of people – is not limited to cities in the 11 affected provinces.”
aftershock
The Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said two earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 and 4.5 were recorded in Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep on the 19th, and a 5.1 earthquake in the last hours of Saturday night on the 18th.
More than 4,000 aftershocks have been recorded following the twin earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria in the early hours of February 6 and were also epicentered in Kahramanmaras.
The Turkish Navy has converted a military landing ship into a field hospital in the port of Iskenderun to support Hatay’s medical staff amid intense pressure on hospitals in southern Turkey, especially in Hatay.
Rescue Team
As many international rescue teams left the large earthquake zone, local teams continued to search through the wreckage of destroyed buildings, hoping to find more survivors who did not fear hardships.
Experts pointed out that most of the rescue process usually occurs within 24 hours after the earthquake.
Healthcare workers and experts have expressed concern that the infection could spread in the area. Sewage infrastructure was damaged as thousands of buildings collapsed.
However, Turkish Health Minister Fakhrdin Koca said on Saturday that while there had been an increase in cases of diseases related to the stomach and upper respiratory tract, the numbers did not pose a serious threat to public health. He also noted that measures had been taken to monitor and prevent potential illnesses.
“Our priority now is to deal with cases that may threaten public health and prevent infectious diseases,” the minister told a news conference in Hatay.
Nearly 300 hours of rescue operations after the disaster
Nearly 300 hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck on February 6, the chances of finding survivors dwindled, but rescuers managed to pull them alive from under the rubble.
Workers from Kyrgyzstan tried to rescue a Syrian family of five from under the rubble of a building in the southern Turkish city of Antakya, 12 days after the earthquake.
Three survivors, including a child, were rescued. The mother and father survived, but the child later died of dehydration, the rescue team said. Neither the twin sister nor the baby survived.
Hakan Yasinoglu, a man in his 40s, was rescued in Hatay, southern Turkey, 278 hours after the quake, the Istanbul Fire Department said.
Earlier, the boy Osman Harabiya (14 years old) and a young man named Mustafa Afji (34 years old) were rescued in the ancient city of Antioch. While Afji was being removed from where he was found, a video call with his parents was arranged for him to see the newborn child.
His father said: “I had completely lost hope and it was a miracle they gave me my son back. I saw the ruins and thought no one could be rescued from there. We prepared for the worst Intend.”
‘My home is your home’: campaign to provide shelter for those affected
On the other hand, Turkish Vice President Fuad Oktay announced a campaign to allow donors who own extra houses to distribute them free of charge to those affected by the earthquake disaster or rent them out at a reasonable price.
This was an ongoing event at the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency headquarters with Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Bilgin and Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank on the aftermath of the disaster. Announced after a press conference held.
Oktay pointed out that people who own more than one house in Turkey, whether they are citizens living inside or outside Turkey, can allocate their additional houses to those affected by the earthquake within the framework of the “My Home Is Your Home” campaign. people.
Homeowners who wish to participate in the campaign can apply through a dedicated website, he mentioned.
He explained that under the guarantee of the state, donors can distribute houses for free or rent them out to those affected by the earthquake at an appropriate price.
He pointed out that the state will guarantee the evacuation of the house and its handover to the owner after the expiration of the stipulated period, and that any damage to the house will be repaired by insurance.
He also pointed out that donors can also use the platform to help families affected by the earthquake pay their rent, and donations can be used as part of the campaign to pay for rent.
On Thursday, the United Nations called for more than $1 billion for a relief effort in Turkey and launched an appeal for $400 million for Syrians.
