China News Service, February 25 (Xinhua) According to Turkey's Anadolu News Agency, on the 24th local time, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) stated that the number of victims of the earthquake in southeastern Turkey rose to 44,218.

The picture shows local time on February 9, an aerial photo of the disaster-stricken area in Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

  "The quake, epicentered in Kahramanmaras province, killed 44,218 people. The first 7.7-magnitude quake was followed by 9,136 aftershocks," AFAD said in a statement.

  The AFAD statement also stated that nearly 335,400 tents were donated by international organizations and other national agencies after the strong earthquake, and more than 11,400 rescuers participated in the on-site search and rescue work.

  On February 6, 2023, earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in Karamanmaras province in southeastern Turkey within 9 hours of each other, affecting about 13.5 million people.

The quake and hundreds of aftershocks were felt in 11 Turkish provinces, as well as in neighboring countries including Syria.