Vice President Oktay gave information about earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş

 

Over 29,600 dead from powerful earthquakes in southern Türkiye

Late Sunday, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay held a press briefing announcing that services from 3 major Turkish telecommunications providers will be free for a month starting from the day of the quakes, but did not say if this was only in the earthquake zones or over a wider area.

On children found unaccompanied due to the quakes, Oktay said 503 of 574 children have been identified, as efforts to identify the remaining 72 children continue.

3 times stronger than 1999 earthquake

The powerful twin earthquakes which hit southern Türkiye earlier this week were three times stronger than the major 1999 Marmara earthquake in the country's northwest, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

In earlier remarks on Friday, Erdogan said the history of Türkiye is being challenged by one of its biggest disasters, referring to the quakes in the country's southern provinces.

Also on Thursday, Erdogan said the state has mobilized all its means to help the victims.

To inspect the ongoing search, rescue, and relief efforts, Erdogan has so far visited Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Adana, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Kilis, Adiyaman, and Malatya, where he met earthquake victims.

He visited other quake-hit southern provinces of Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa on Saturday.

The Turkish parliament on Thursday approved a three-month state of emergency to speed up aid efforts.

The country is also observing seven days of national mourning in the wake of the disaster.

Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.