Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, along with the Turkish Minister of Health, announced that the death toll from the earthquake that struck southern Turkey has risen to 1,651, with 9,700 injuries reported. During a press conference held in Ankara, Oktay noted the difficulties in delivering aid to the affected areas. As of now, over 9,700 injuries have been recorded due to the earthquake, and there are no risks of dam collapses as a result of the quake. The number of earthquake fatalities increased to 1,541. Air traffic has returned to all Turkish airports except for Hatay Airport.
The devastating earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck southern Turkey on Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand people in the country and hundreds more in neighboring Syria, as confirmed by officials. American estimates predict that the total losses from the catastrophe may exceed one billion dollars. Images have shown extensive destruction, as rescue teams rushed to the debris of buildings to save survivors believed to be trapped underneath.
The earthquake occurred in the Kahramanmaraş region, near the Syrian border, and was felt in countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel, with some areas heavily impacted by the disaster. Following the initial earthquake, another tremor of magnitude 7.5 was recorded on Monday afternoon in northeastern Turkey. As is usual in such disasters, the region has experienced a series of aftershocks, with the largest losses reported in southern Turkey and central Syria.
