The Worst Human Casualties in Turkish History Surpassing the 1939 Erzincan Disaster
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] On the 6th (local time), the death toll from the massive earthquake that struck T?rkiye (Turkey) and Syria approached 40,000. It surpassed the scale of damage caused by the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, the deadliest in T?rkiye's history.
On the 14th (local time), AFP reported that the officially confirmed death toll in T?rkiye and Syria reached 39,106, nearing 40,000.
President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an of T?rkiye announced that 35,418 people died and 105,505 were injured in T?rkiye due to the earthquake. After a five-hour meeting at the T?rkiye Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) headquarters in Ankara, Erdo?an personally announced the figures for deaths and injuries. Accordingly, this earthquake has surpassed the 1939 northeastern Erzincan earthquake, which caused 32,968 casualties.
In Syria, which shares a border with T?rkiye, the combined death toll reported by authorities and the rebel rescue group 'White Helmets' reached 3,688. However, due to the civil war, accurate statistics are difficult to compile, and the actual death toll is estimated to be much higher.
Miraculous survival stories continued even on the ninth day after the earthquake. A 65-year-old Syrian man and a young girl were rescued from the rubble of a building in Antakya, Hatay Province, T?rkiye, after 208 hours. This brought the total number of survivors rescued that day to nine.
Although miraculous rescue news occasionally emerges well beyond the 72-hour golden survival window, the likelihood of survival for those trapped is gradually diminishing over time. Eduardo Reynoso Angulo, a professor at the Engineering Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said, "The chance of survival for people trapped in rubble drops significantly after five days, and although there are exceptions, it approaches 0% after nine days."
Foreign media reported that rescue operations appear to have ended in seven of the ten Turkish provinces affected by the earthquake. In Antakya, one of the hardest-hit areas, building demolition work has begun. Russia is preparing to withdraw after ending search and rescue operations in T?rkiye and Syria, and the civilian rescue group 'White Helmets,' active in the rebel-controlled northwest Syria, also announced it will soon conclude its survivor rescue activities in the earthquake-affected areas.
Meanwhile, survivors are suffering from cold, hunger, and fears of infectious diseases, enduring painful times. Looting has also become rampant. The United Nations stated, "Now is the time for survivor relief rather than buried victim rescue."
Public sentiment has worsened significantly as the government's poor and delayed response after the T?rkiye earthquake has been exposed. President Erdo?an emphasized that "this earthquake had the power equivalent to hundreds of atomic bombs" and said, "No country would have faced problems different from what we experienced in the face of such a disaster." He also stated that search and rescue operations will continue until the last person is rescued.
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