Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – The number of earthquake victims centered in Turkey has now exceeded 20,000 people or has exceeded the number of victims in the 2011 Japan earthquake and 1999 Turkey earthquake.
Reports on the website of the Hurriyet daily and foreign media, including the Nikkei, said on Friday that some 17,600 people had been killed in Turkey and about 3,300 in Syria.
Thus, a total of nearly 21,000 human souls were lost. This figure exceeds the number of victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011 which claimed 18,400 lives.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Monday (6/2) — due to the movement of the East Anatolia fault in southeastern and southern Turkey — has also exceeded the number of victims of the 1999 earthquake, also in Turkey, which this time claimed 18,000 lives.
Unlike the current earthquake which was centered in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş Province, the one that occurred in 1999 was triggered by the movement of the North Anatolian fault.
As of Thursday (9/2) at around 21.00 WIT, Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency (AFAD) still stated the figure of 16,170 people who died in Turkey as a result of the earthquake.
However, Turkish foreign and local media have updated the figure to around 17,000.
According to a report on the website of the Hurriyet newspaper, the SAR team was racing against time to save residents trapped under collapsed buildings due to the earthquake shaking.
Relatives of those trapped under the rubble are standing around trying to make sure their families are safe or get help.
Meanwhile in Syria, a UN aid convoy has for the first time entered rebel-held northwestern Syria which was one of the worst affected areas by the quake.
The area was previously blockaded by forces of Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s government.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to rebuild every house that was collapsed and destroyed by the earthquake.
Erdoğan also started implementing emergency law which he last introduced after the attempted coup in 2016. (mhn/bbs)
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