Turkey: Death toll from earthquake rises to 91

INA – Ankara - Sources: Anadolu

The death toll in Turkey from a powerful earthquake in the Aegean region has risen to 91, the country’s disaster agency said on Monday.

Some 1,286 aftershocks have hit the area since the Friday quake, with 43 of them above magnitude 4.0, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said.

It added that 994 people were injured, with 839 of them discharged from hospitals and 155 still being treated.

Speaking at a news conference Monday in the Aegean Izmir province, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum updated the number of heavily damaged and destroyed buildings to 58.

On Friday, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, with a population of some 4.37 million.

Family, Labor and Social Services Minister Zehra Zumrut Selcuk also urged quake victims to take shelter at public guesthouses.

So far, 1,864 tents have been installed, with 2,038 currently being set up.

Temporary accommodations have been established to meet the urgent need for shelter in the city, with over 3,500 tents, some 24,400 blankets, 13,300 beds, 5,500 sleeping sets, 2,600 kitchen sets, and four showers and toilet containers shipped to the area, the disaster agency said.

So far, over 105 people have been pulled from the debris as search and rescue efforts continue.