Syria earthquake toll rises to more than 230 dead, 600 wounded: senior health official

Meanwhile, rescuers reported that 147 people were killed in opposition-held northwest Syria and Turkey's vice president said 284 people were killed in the country

Reuters
Published : 6 Feb 2023, 05:40 AM
Updated : 6 Feb 2023, 09:29 AM

More than 237 people had been killed and about 600 injured, most in the provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia, where numerous buildings tumbled down, according to Ahmed Damiriyye, an aide to Syria's health minister.

President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by telephone with the governors of eight affected provinces to gather information on the situation and rescue efforts, his office said in a statement.

DEADLY EARTHQUAKE KILLS 147 IN OPPOSITION-HELD NORTHWEST SYRIA

At least 147 people were killed in opposition-held northwest Syria by a major earthquake, rescuers said on Monday.

The White Helmets rescue team said on Twitter that 147 people had died and more than 340 were injured.

"The toll may increase as many families are still trapped," it wrote. "Our teams are on the ground searching for survivors & removing the dead from the rubble."

TURKEY'S VICE PRESIDENT: TOTAL DEATH TOLL RISE TO 284 IN TURKEY IN QUAKE

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said 284 people were killed and 2,323 injured, as authorities scrambled rescue teams and supply aircraft for the affected area, while declaring a "level 4 alarm" that calls for international assistance.

Turkish broadcaster RTR showed rescue workers in Osmaniye province using a blanket to carry an injured man out of a collapsed four-storey building and putting him in an ambulance. He was the fifth to be pulled from the rubble, it said.