Over 345,000 apartments destroyed in Turkey as death toll exceeds 40,000

Authorities in Turkey say over 345,000 apartments were destroyed after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake as the death toll continues to increase 

As the death toll after the devastating earthquake in Turkey exceeds more than 40,000, official estimates by the government suggest that over 345,000 apartments have been destroyed in the country.  

According to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, the search and rescue operations in the country will be mostly stopped from Sunday, February 19, night onwards.  

The earthquake in Turkey is being called its worst modern disaster as many still remain missing.  

Medical officials are now concerned about the possibility of the spread of infections, as the sanitation infrastructure in the country has been damaged after tens of thousands of buildings have been destroyed.  

“Our priority now is to fight against the conditions that can threaten public health and to prevent infectious diseases,” said, Fahrettin Koca Turkish Health Minister, as cited by Reuters.  

She added, “although there had been a rise in intestinal and upper respiratory infections, the numbers did not pose a serious threat to public health.” 

Anger is growing among families who are trying to retrieve their relatives as “corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development” are being blamed for such a huge scale of infrastructural destruction.  

Meanwhile, the Turkish government has been reported to have detained more than 100 suspects, that also includes property developers and has also promised to investigate anyone responsible for buildings collapsing.

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