Ankara/Damascus: According to the most recent information provided by officials and rescuers, more than 21,000 people have died as a result of the deadly earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria four days ago.
The death toll from the earthquakes climbed to 17,674 in Turkey, with 72,879 injuries, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Thursday.
In Syria, 1,678 people were killed in government-held areas, and the death toll in the opposition-held region stood at 2,190, according to media reports.
7.7 and 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey on Monday
Xinhua news agency reported that a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Turkey's southern province of Kahramanmaras at 4:17 a.m. local time, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the country's southern province of Gaziantep a short time later, and a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Kahramanmaras at 1:24 p.m. local time.
International search and rescue teams, including an 82-member Chinese rescue team that arrived in Turkey on Wednesday, rushed to the quake-impacted zone to assist in rescue efforts.
