Rescuers working on rubble of 308 collapsed buildings, says Turkish minister

Search and rescue operations at the site of the rubble of 4,490 buildings in Turkey's Kahramanmaras have been completed, rescuers continue to work on the site of 308 collapsed buildings.

The remarks came from Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu, speaking at the Disaster Coordination Center of Kahramanmaras province on February 13, Anadolu reports.

He said only in Kahramanmarash, the death of 10,194 people was confirmed, and the day before, 11 people were rescued from the rubble of one of the houses.

For residents who have lost their homes in Kahramanmarash, 30,000 tents have been set up. Another 48,000 residents of the province are housed in schools, and 11,500 in gyms.

Suleyman Soylu noted that about 300 thousand people were involved in the elimination of the consequences of the disaster, some of which are rescuers.

The minister added that the rescuers reached everyone - even the most remote settlements of the disaster zone.

The death toll from the devastating earthquake with its epicentre in Kahramanmarash, Turkey, has exceeded 29.6 thousand people.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared seven days of national mourning in Turkey for the victims of the natural disaster. The state flags of Turkey are flown at half-mast throughout the country.

The devastating earthquake was also felt in neighbouring countries, including Syria, Lebanon, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Greek Cyprus, and Iraq.