Erdogan: Earthquake death toll in Turkey surpasses 35,000

Shafaq News/ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that 35,418 people have died in Turkey due to the earthquake, making it the deadliest disaster since its founding 100 years ago.

Erdogan said 105,505 people were injured due to the Feb. 6 quake centered around Kahramanmaras and its aftershocks.

The Turkish president, who has referred to the quakes as “the disaster of the century,” said more than 13,208 people were still being treated in hospital.

In Ankara, following a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan said 47,000 buildings, which contained 211,000 residences, had either been destroyed or were so severely damaged as to require demolition.

“We will continue our work until we get our last citizen out of the destroyed buildings,” Erdogan said of ongoing rescue efforts.