Clearing the rubble of a building that collapsed during an earthquake in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras on February 17, 2023.
Ankara – A month after the February 6 earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northwestern Syria, official death tolls are still rising. At least 45,968 people have died in Turkey, according to the weekend announcement of Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, and the number of dead in Syria is estimated at seven thousand. About 150,000 people were injured in the earthquake, many with permanent consequences, such as amputation of limbs. Many children were also injured, dozens lost their parents. Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported today that 247 people have been arrested so far for non-compliance with building regulations.
Advertisement'; }
Photo gallery: Earthquake in Turkey and Syria
Minister Soylu announced at the weekend that the number of victims in Turkey rose to 45,968, of which 4,267 were Syrians who fled to the neighboring country from the civil war in their homeland. The Deutsche Welle (DW) television server wrote that the number of victims will probably continue to rise, as many of the dead have not yet been identified. Many survivors are still searching for their relatives. When asked how many people are missing, the government in Ankara did not respond to the DW server.
Over 200,000 buildings collapsed or were seriously damaged in the earthquake, many because they were not built to code. According to Turkish opposition servers, especially before the elections, local authorities in the past granted so-called construction amnesties, when they allowed construction to continue for a fee, even if the house did not meet all the regulations. Anadolu Agency reported today that 247 people have already been arrested because of the collapsed houses and are suspected of neglecting regulations or corruption.
Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 struck southern Turkey near the border with Syria and northwestern Syria on February 6, followed by thousands of smaller aftershocks; On February 20, 6.4 and 5.8 magnitude earthquakes struck the same area in Turkey, killing several more people. Among the victims in Turkey are a number of foreigners, especially Syrians and Afghans. Among the dead is a Czech woman who lived in Turkey for a long time. The number of victims in Syria is not official, as the affected area was mainly controlled by the rebels. It is estimated that six to seven thousand people died there.
Thanks to rescuers from abroad, including a team from the Czech Republic, a number of survivors were rescued from the rubble. According to local media, the last survivors were rescued from the ruins 12 days after the earthquakes. They were parents with a child who spent 296 hours in the ruins of the house. But the child died shortly after being rescued.
With mounting criticism of the government and local authorities after the earthquake, the regime of authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued to suppress freedom of speech. For example, several broadcasters have been fined by the Broadcasting Council for airing criticism of the government for slow aid to earthquake victims or construction amnesties.
It is not yet clear how people in the quake-hit areas will vote. in the presidential and parliamentary elections, which will probably take place on May 14.
