Ankara [Turkey]: After earthquakes jolted the country’s southern provinces, Turkey has declared seven days of National mourning. On February 6, when two earthquakes hit southern provinces of Turkey, at least 3,000 people were killed, and around 10,000 others were injured, Anadolu Agency reported citing Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.
As per the Anadolu Agency report, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7, centered in the Pazarcik district, jolted Kahramanmaras and hit several provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis. Later, an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 centered in Kahramanmaras’s Elbistan district jolted the region.
Current Vice President of Turkey, Fuat Oktay, said that earthquakes had a total of 145 aftershocks and 3,741 buildings collapsed, as per the news report. The earthquake was also felt in several neighboring countries, including Lebanon and Syria.
According to Turkey’s news report, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said that nearly 9700 search and rescue personnel have been working in the region.
According to AFAD, there is no tsunami threat to the Eastern Mediterranean coasts in Turkey.
Turkey was shaken by the “biggest disaster” since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan spoke to the mayors of Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis on the phone and was informed about search and rescue efforts, according to the Turkish presidency, as per the Anadolu Agency report.
Turkey’s National Education Minister Mahmut Ozer said that until February 13, education in Turkey is suspended. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu said all National sports events in the country had been suspended until further notice.
In a statement, AFAD said that Turkey issued a level 4 alarm, which includes a call for international aid. AFAD said that international assistance was called for through the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) after a discussion with the Turkish Foreign Ministry, as per the news report.
The earthquake in Syria has resulted in 237 deaths and 639 injured, mostly in Lattakia, Aleppo, Hama, and Tartous, SANA reported.
Syria has called on United Nations member states and other international organizations to help support the efforts made by the Syrian government to face the effects of the earthquake that jolted the nation, as per the news report.
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