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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

The death toll in Türkiye from this week's devastating earthquakes has surpassed the 20,000 threshold, with the number of people injured reached 80,052, the country's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Friday.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

It added that 7,716 personnel from foreign countries were also dispatched to the disaster zone.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

The Foreign Ministry said a total of 97 countries have offered assistance and that search and rescue teams from 61 nations are currently continuing their efforts in the field.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

A total of 190,000 people have been evacuated from quake-hit regions, said Oktay.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

So far, presidential planes have also transported 126 injured people, including 16 infants, to hospitals in the capital Ankara.

More than 141,779 health personnel are currently working in the quake-hit region, health officials have said.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

Besides rescue teams, blankets, tents, food, and psychological support teams, along with 12,244 vehicles, including excavators, tractors, and bulldozers, were also sent to affected areas.

A total of 97,973 family tents have been set up to shelter the survivors, the authority said.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said the country will launch the "biggest disaster housing mobilization" in the history of the Republic of Türkiye simultaneously in 10 provinces.

After the initial earthquake, an air aid corridor was created by the Turkish Armed Forces to deliver search and rescue teams to the region.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

A large number of aircraft for transport, including A-400Ms, carried search and rescue teams and vehicles to the region.

Ambulance planes are also using the air aid corridor.

Rescue and relief personnel and materials were directed to the region with 166 aircraft, AFAD said.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

Moreover, 77 field hospitals were set up in the 10 provinces.

A total of 26 ships were also assigned to the region for personnel and material shipment and for evacuation.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

Erdoğan on Thursday said the quakes in southern Türkiye can be described as "the disaster of the century," adding that the state has mobilized all its means to help the victims.

Inspecting the ongoing search, rescue, and relief efforts, Erdoğan has so far visited Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adana, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Kilis, Adıyaman, and Malatya, where he met with earthquake victims.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

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.

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Rescuers race against time to find quake survivors in southern Türkiye

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