Death toll in Turkey-Syria earthquake nears 50,000

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): The death toll from the quakes that devastated the Turkey-Syria border region has risen to nearly 50,000, with close to 8,000 aftershocks recorded.

In Turkey, nearly 44,000 people have died and in Syria the death toll has reached 6000, according to reports.

Two successive strong earthquakes shook southeastern Turkey and western Syria on February 6. The United States Geological Survey measured the first earthquake 7.8 on the Richter scale and the second 7.5.

Turkish authorities have said the disaster severely affected ten provinces and caused heavy life and financial losses.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, quoting officials, reported that nearly 44,000 people had died and more than 85,000 were injured in the earthquake in the country.

The agency said more than 6,000 houses and buildings had collapsed, 120,000 people were rescued and many others were still buried under the collapsed buildings.

Last week, two new earthquakes occurred in Turkey and Syria, killing and wounding hundreds of peope.

Syrian state news agency, SANA reported that nearly 6,000 people died and more than 5,000 were injured due to the earthquake in the country.

The death toll in Turkey and Syria is expected to rise further.

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