Fatalities in quake disaster updated as 44,218

Turkey's disaster agency updated the fatalities in the disaster following twin earthquakes on 6 February as 44,218.

The Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) said on Friday evening that some 528,000 survivors have so far been evacuated from the earthquake zone, and 335,000 tents have been provided for homeless victims in quake hit provinces.

The number of victims who are currently provided accommodation is over 1.9 million, AFAD noted, and that temporary means of shelter include container homes, student dormitories and hotels, alongside tents.

AFAD did not provide information concerning the number of survivors who have not yet been provided temporary shelter, nor about the operations carried out to remove the debris of collapsed buildings.

Searches for the remains of victims in the rubble and their identification, and the sites used for dumping the debris that may contain hazardous materials like asbestos are among issues yet to be addressed by Turkish authorities.