Monitoring Desk
ANKARA: Turkey on Sunday said rescue operation after last week’s devastating quake has ended in all provinces except two as visiting US Secretary of State announced $100 million in new humanitarian assistance.
US Secretary of State visits quake-hit Turkey
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6 has killed over 44,000 people. Reports said that no survivor was found during the last 24 hours in quake-hit areas. The chief of Turkey disaster authority Yunus Sezer said that rescue and search operation had been completed in all provinces except Kahramanmaras and Hatay.
Yunus Sezer said death toll had climbed to 40,689 in Turkey. Reports said that the 44,377 have died due to earthquake in Syria.
Turkey announced to end rescue operations as US Secretary of State Blinken arrived in the quake hit country to show solidarity with Ankara. He said that the US will provide a new aid worth $100 million to Turkey.
US top diplomat met Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at Incirlik air base in Turkey, via which the US has shipped aid and assistance.
He then accompanied with his Turkish counterpart in a helicopter to view the damage wrought by the earthquake in Hatay province.
He told the media that the fresh aid will be supplying soon. He added that Washington had now contributed $185 million in aid and assistance to Turkey and Syria.
