Türkiye, Syria earthquake death toll rise to 24,165

ANKARA, DAMASCUS:  The death toll from the deadly earthquake that devastated Syria and Türkiye rose to 24,165, sources reported.

During a press statement held in the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and carried by Anadolu Agency, the Turkish Health Minister Dr. Fahrettin Koca said that 20,665 people were killed and 80,088 injured, stressing that the country is facing an unprecedented catastrophe.

In Syria, the powerful earthquake resulted in the deaths of over 3,500 people, while thousands were left homeless to fend off harsh winter conditions.

The earthquake is currently ranked seventh among the deadliest natural disasters this century, surpassing the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, and closing in on the total number of victims of the earthquake that hit Iran in 2003, which killed 31,000 people.