Death Toll of Turkey’s Earthquake Up to 38 People

Jakarta, MINA – The death toll of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey on Friday increased to 38 people. The quake also injured more than 1,600 people.

Since last Friday, the SAR team has continued to search and evacuate people who are still alive but have been buried in the rubble. They continue to work against time in extremely cold temperatures.

As quoted from CNNIndonesia on Monday, at least 45 people were rescued from the rubble of the building.

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

Erdogan added that every effort had been made to find survivors.

“Turkey has begun to heal the wounds of this great disaster in unity and togetherness,” he said.

It is known that more than 780 aftershocks shook the area when more than 3,500 rescue teams rushed to search and evacuate. The rescue team focused on the neighborhood of Mustafa Pasa and the nearest town, Sivrice.

Meanwhile, when the temperature at night dropped to -5 degrees Celsius, the emergency team prepared more than 9,500 tents for the refugees and distributed 17,000 warm meals.

At least 104 people underwent treatment in a post-earthquake hospital. “13 of them are in intensive care,” said Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu promised financial assistance to earthquake victims. He then attended the funeral of five dead victims who were a family – a couple, a daughter, and two grandchildren. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)