Turkiye to Stop Rescue Operations, Death Toll Surpasses 46,000

On Saturday, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the total number of people who died in Turkiye as a result of the earthquake that spread to Syria has reached about 46,000.

Yunus Sezer, the head of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, mentioned that more than 5,700 aftershocks were recorded after the quake, which measured 7.7 on the Richter scale, hit the Turkish-Syrian border region.

Thousands of people died in neighboring Syria as a result of the earthquakes.

Sezer added that about 13,000 rescue workers are making their last efforts to rescue people trapped under the rubble in the cities of Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, which were most affected by the quake, adding that the search and rescue mission is scheduled to end on Sunday.

Anadolu news agency reported that the authorities arrested a total of 120 people, including contractors, in connection with the building collapse.

Aid organizations say the survivors will need help for months to come in coping with the massive destruction of critical infrastructure.

Neither Turkiye nor Syria has yet announced the number of people still missing after the quake.

On Thursday, the UN appealed for more than $1 billion for the relief operation in Turkiye and launched a $400 million appeal for the Syrians.