Minister: Over 227,000 buildings collapsed, severely damaged in Türkiye after quakes

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At least 227,027 buildings collapsed or were left severely damaged after the February 6 earthquakes, the minister of environment, urbanization and climate change has announced.

The authorities have so far inspected over 1.7 million buildings in the 11 cities affected by the powerful quakes, Murat Kurum said yesterday (March 5).

In Maraş, where the quakes occurred, 48,873 buildings were wrecked or severely damaged, said Kurum.

The construction of 13,866 housing units began in the quake-hit region, the minister further said.

On February 6, two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 struck the southern city of Maraş. The first quake in the Pazarcık district at 4.17 a.m. was followed by the second one in Elbistan about nine hours later.

The quakes affected 11 cities in Türkiye's south and southeast, as well as Syria's northern parts, where over 5,000 people were killed.

Türkiye's official death toll from the quakes stands at over 45,000 and is expected to increase further, as over 227,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, according to government figures. (AÖ/VK)