Turkey ends quake rescue efforts except in two provinces: Official
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A building that has already been scanned by rescue workers in the city of Antakya, Turkey, on Feb 18, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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ISTANBUL - Turkey has ended rescue efforts in all provinces except the two hardest hit by the massive earthquake on Feb 6 that killed tens of thousands of people,
“In many of our provinces, search-and-rescue efforts have been completed. They continue in Kahramanmaras and Hatay provinces,” the agency’s chief Yunus Sezer told reporters in Ankara.
The epicentre of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake
Mr Sezer said search-and-rescue efforts continued at around 40 buildings in the provinces on the 14th day, but expected this number to fall by Sunday evening.
The agency head also said Turkey’s death toll had risen to 40,689.
Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay said on Saturday that some 105,000 buildings had collapsed, needed to be demolished or were severely damaged in the quake.
There has been breathless coverage of rescue teams finding survivors. But that has since slowed down, with no survivors found in at least 24 hours.
On Saturday, rescuers found a man and a woman alive in the 296th hour in the southern Turkish city of Antakya, but their three children did not survive, local media said. AFP
