Türkiye declares state emergency for quake-affected provinces

This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. Meanwhile, the number of wounded people stood at 21,103, Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said in an update. Two major earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes hit the province of Kahramanmaras Monday. (Xinhua/Shadati)

ANKARA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Tuesday a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces of Trkiye hit by massive quakes.

The decision is taken in order to ensure that search and rescue activities and subsequent studies can be carried out quickly, he said at a press conference.

Death tolls from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, Erdogan added.

A total of 53,317 search and rescue staff and support personnel are currently working in the earthquake zones, according to the president.

The casualties were in provinces of southern Kahramanmaras, Adana, Adiyaman, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis and Malatya and southeastern Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, and Gaziantep, according to Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Trkiye's southern province of Kahramanmaras at 4:17 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) on Monday, followed by a magnitude 6.4 quake a few minutes later in the country's southern province of Gaziantep and a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at 1:24 p.m. local time in the Kahramanmaras Province.

Erdogan on Monday declared seven days of national mourning for the victims.

A man stands by a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye, Feb. 7, 2023. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

People walk past a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye, Feb. 7, 2023. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

A resident walks past a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye, Feb. 7, 2023. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

A vehicle is seen near a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye, Feb. 7, 2023. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

A vehicle is seen near a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye, Feb. 7, 2023. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

A man walks past a damaged building in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye, Feb. 7, 2023. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)

People conduct rescue work in Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras Province, Trkiye, Feb. 7, 2023. The death toll from Monday's powerful earthquakes in southern Trkiye rose to 3,549, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon declaring that a three-month state of emergency is enacted in 10 affected provinces. (Xinhua/Shadati)