Ankara: The powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkiye this week was three times as powerful as the 1999 Marmara earthquake in the country’s northwest, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.
“They (the southern Turkey earthquake) were three times more powerful and devastating than the 1999 earthquake, which was recorded as the worst disaster in our country’s history,” Erdogan said in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. rescue operation.
At least 21,043 people have been killed and 80,097 injured since two earthquakes struck southern Turkey on Monday, centered on Kahramammaras province, Erdogan said, Anadolu Agency reported.
“Currently, 160,000 staff are working in 10 provinces with teams from abroad,” said Erdogan, who also met with earthquake victims in Diyarbakir.
Magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes affected more than 13 million people in 10 provinces including Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.
The Turkish leader also thanked all “friendly” countries for showing solidarity with the Turkish state by sending search and rescue teams after the massive earthquake.
Erdogan has previously promised to rebuild the earthquake-hit areas as part of a year-long plan.
“We plan to rebuild hundreds of thousands of homes, including infrastructure and superstructures, and restore earthquake-damaged cities,” he said.
The government has mobilized “all means” and urged everyone to “trust and believe that they have not and will not leave their citizens on the streets in misery and poverty,” he said. Stated.
Erdogan later plans to visit Şanlıurfa to meet with victims of the earthquake. –Bernama
