Turkiye updates Feb 6 quake death toll to 53,000 ahead of 1st anniversary

In an update after a long hiatus, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has stated that 53,537 people lost their lives in earthquakes that devasted 11 southern provinces on Feb. 6 last year, with over 14 million people directly affected by the disaster.

During a press conference at the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency's (AFAD) headquarters on Feb. 2, Yerlikaya revealed some figures on the disaster ahead of its first anniversary.

Yerlikaya reported that the earthquakes resulted in over 107,000 injuries across a 120,000 square-kilometer area.

In the context of intervention efforts in the region, a total of 650,000 personnel, including 11,488 international, 35,250 search and rescue and 142,000 security personnel, were involved.

Emphasizing one of the most challenging issues in the region, the demolition of collapsed and heavily damaged structures, Yerlikaya mentioned that 91 percent of the debris removal process was completed.

Speaking about the current situation of earthquake survivors still residing in containers and tents, the minister announced the delivery of 41,000 earthquake residences and 5,000 village houses in Hatay on Feb. 3, with other affected provinces to follow suit.

"At this point, 215,000 containers have been set up in 414 container cities, hosting 691,000 of our disaster-affected citizens," Yerlikaya stated.

In another press conference on Feb. 1, Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor Ahmet Çelikkol disclosed that approximately 23,000 investigations were initiated regarding allegations of negligence in buildings in the city most affected by the Feb. 6 earthquakes.

As the first anniversary of the devastating earthquakes approaches, many who lost family members and were trapped under debris are still seeking justice for the negligence during the construction of their homes. High-profile cases, such as the Rönesans Residences in Hatay and the Isias Hotel in Adıyaman, have been closely monitored by the public and families over the past year.

Çelikkol stated that 22,581 investigation files were transferred to the court and converted into cases.

Calling on citizens who couldn't get news about their relatives after the earthquake to provide DNA samples, Çelikkol mentioned that, initially, the identities of 2,018 individuals could not be determined. However, through investigations, including DNA samples from 708 individuals, along with witness statements, DNA, fingerprint and photo matching, the identities of 1,825 people were determined and handed over to their families. He added that 193 bodies remained unidentified in the city.