Death toll from Turkey's earthquake rises to 38 - UPDATED

Death toll from Turkey
# 26 January 2020 20:18 (UTC +04:00)

Working against the clock in freezing temperatures, Turkish rescue teams pulled more survivors from collapsed buildings Sunday, days after a powerful magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit the country’s east. Rescued survivors wept with gratitude for their efforts, APA reports.

Turkish authorities said the death toll rose to at least 38 people from the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck Friday night.

Turkish television showed Ayse Yildiz, 35, and her 2-year-old daughter Yusra being dragged out of the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in the city of Elazig. They had been trapped for 28 hours.

The quake also injured over 1,600 people but at least 45 survivors have been pulled alive from the rubble so far, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference Sunday in Istanbul.

More than 780 aftershocks rocked the region as over 3,500 rescue experts scrambled through wrecked buildings to reach survivors, working around the clock. Rescue teams concentrated their efforts in the city’s Mustafa Pasa neighborhood and the nearby town of Sivrice.

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The death toll from Friday's powerful earthquake in eastern Turkey rose to 35, Turkey’s vice president Fuat Oktay said on Sunday, APA reports.

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The death toll from Friday's powerful earthquake in eastern Turkey rose to 31, the country's disaster relief agency said, APA reports quoting Reuters.

So far, 1,547 people have been reported injured as rescue workers continue recovering victims buried under the rubble, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

A total of 45 people have been rescued including a woman, 17 hours after her house collapsed.

AFAD said rescue work continues with more than 3,433 personnel with hundreds of vehicles and 17 sniffer dogs in the region.

A team of surveyors is assessing the damage caused by the earthquake, with initial reports suggesting 76 buildings were demolished while 42 damaged and 425 with minor damages.

The 6.8-magnitude quake shook Turkey's Elazig province late Friday. Tremors were also felt in neighboring countries including Syria and Georgia.

More than 530 aftershocks were felt in the region with nine above a 4.0-magnitude.

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The death toll from Friday's powerful earthquake in eastern Turkey has risen to 29, the country's disaster relief agency said, APA reports quotng Anadolu Agency.

So far, 1,234 people have been reported injured as rescue workers continue recovering people buried under the rubble, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

A total of 43 people have been rescued including a woman, 17 hours after her house collapsed on her.

A team of surveyors is assessing the damage caused by the earthquake, with initial reports suggesting 72 buildings were completely damaged.

At least 462 aftershocks were felt in the region of which more than a dozen were above 4.0 magnitude.

The 6.8-magnitude quake shook Turkey's Elazig province on Friday night. Tremors were also felt in neighboring countries including Syria and Georgia.

Earlier on Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the quake-affected region and attended the funeral of two victims.

"We have borne many earthquakes but the nation has risen above them patiently," said Erdogan, asking the nation to exercise strength at their weakest hour.

Condolences have poured in from world over, including the U.S., Russia, Malaysia and Pakistan.

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