Death toll rises after disastrous quake in Türkiye

Several provinces have reported initial casualty estimates amid ongoing rescue efforts

More than 70 people have been killed, and many more are feared dead or trapped under the rubble of collapsed houses, after a series of powerful earthquakes struck central Türkiye shortly after 4am Monday morning.

By 6:30am, Türkiye’s crisis response center, SAKOM, confirmed that at least 76 people were killed and another 440 injured in the provinces of Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis.

At least 34 buildings were destroyed and five people killed in the province of Osmaniye alone, according to the local governor, with more casualties expected as rescuers work to find survivors.

Another 15 people were killed and at least 16 buildings destroyed in Sanliurfa, according to initial estimates by the provincial governor. 

The governor of Malatya reported at least 140 destroyed or badly damaged buildings, with the bodies of 23 victims pulled from the debris so far. Over 420 have suffered various injuries across the province, according to Anadolu news agency.

In Diyarbakir province, the authorities have so far confirmed six people dead and 79 injured, with at least half a dozen buildings destroyed.

The Turkish authorities have declared the highest level of emergency, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mobilizing all rescue services and first responders to aid the affected provinces, while other government institutions are coordinating response efforts.