The death toll from the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria has risen to more than 17000. At least 14,000 people have died in Türkiye, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
At least 3,162 have been killed in Syria. Agencies and rescue workers have warned that the figures are likely to rise higher with many people still trapped under the rubble.
The disaster agency of Türkiye said, more than 28,000 citizens were evacuated from disaster areas in Kahramanmaras. The first UN aid convoy has reached rebel-held northwest Syria from Türkiye.
President Erdogan has defended his government’s response to two catastrophic earthquakes, saying it was impossible to prepare for the scale of the disaster. Critics claimed the emergency services’ response was too slow and the government was poorly prepared.
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