Nearly 240,000 rescue workers continue to work in Turkey’s earthquake-hit provinces, although no survivors have been found recently.
The number of people killed by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria earlier this month has now passed 50,000, according to the latest figures from the two countries.
In Turkey alone, 44,218 people died as a result of the earthquakes, the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Friday, while the latest announced death toll in Syria was 5,914.
The first earthquake on February 6, which hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, had a magnitude of 7.7, and a second, a little later, a magnitude of 7.6. According to AFAD, the region has since been shaken by more than 9,000 aftershocks.
Nearly 240,000 rescue workers, including volunteers, continue to work in Turkey’s 11 earthquake-hit provinces. Some of the areas affected by the quakes were initially difficult to access, but recovery efforts are ongoing and casualty numbers are rising over time.
There have been no reports of survivors being rescued in recent days.
In Turkey alone, nearly 530,000 people have been evacuated from the disaster area, and the Turkish government said 173,000 buildings have been recorded as having collapsed or been badly damaged so far, with more than 1.9 million people taking shelter in makeshift shelters or hotels and public facilities .
Around 20 million people in Turkey have been affected by the quake, while the United Nations estimates that 8.8 million people in Syria have been affected. Less information comes from Syria, where many people are already living in precarious conditions after years of civil war.
Many survivors have left quake-hit parts of southern Turkey or have been housed in tents, trailer homes and other government-sponsored accommodation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild the homes within a year, although experts said authorities should put safety before speed.
Some buildings that were supposed to withstand tremors collapsed in recent earthquakes.