Earthquake death toll exceeds 29,000 across Turkey, Syria

The number of deaths in Turkey rose to 24,617 on Sunday while more than 4,500 were killed in Syria.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said that at least 24,617 people have been killed in the deadly quakes that struck southeastern Turkey.

Earlier, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said some 80,278 people have been injured.

The United Nations says up to 5.3 million people in Syria may be homeless after the earthquakes, while nearly 900,000 people are in urgent need of hot food in Turkey and Syria.

Workers in Turkey are still trying to pull survivors from the rubble and there have been miraculous scenes of survival and rescue, even days after the quake.

Powerful 7.7-and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes rocked Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province, located in the country’s southeast, on Monday. The tremors, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, were felt in 10 provinces as well as in neighboring countries, of which Syria was hardest hit.

MNA/PR