Death toll rises to over 21,000 in Turkey-Syria earthquakes

Agencies | Ankara / Damascus                                         

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The death toll in the catastrophic Turkey-Syria earthquakes has climbed to at least 21,051, CNN reported citing authorities on Friday.

At least 17,674 people have died and 72,879 people have been injured in Turkey, said Vice-President Fuat Oktay on Thursday.

In Syria, according to the White Helmets civil rescue organisation, at least 3,377 individuals were killed, including 2,030 in rebel-held areas in the northwest and 1,347 in government-controlled areas, as reported by state media.

A three-month state of emergency to speed up rescue and aid efforts in Turkey's earthquake-hit provinces came into effect on Thursday after the approval of lawmakers, Anadolu Agency reported.

Earthquakes of magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6, centred in the province of Kahramanmaras, were felt by 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa, as per the news report. Turkey's neighbouring countries, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the tremors.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday said that 75 nations and 16 international organisations have pledged aid to the country. He said 6,479 rescue personnel from 56 countries are in the field.

"Teams from 19 more countries will be in our country within 24 hours," CNN quoted Cavusoglu as saying.

Global relief has been pouring into Turkey and Syria after Monday's disaster. The UAE has so far sent 22 aid planes, airlifting 640 tonnes of supplies for the victims in both countries. The country had also sent rescue teams and set up field hospitals.

While mobilising relief efforts, major humanitarian organisations have launched appeals for urgent donations. Here are some ways to donate.