The death toll from the deadly earthquakes in Türkiye surpassed 8,000, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced on Wednesday.

Later in the day President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the earthquake zone and said the death toll had now reached 8,574.

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Speaking to reporters,President Erdoğan said another 49,133 people were injured and a total of 6,444 buildings collapsed in the earthquake.

As of Tuesday morning, AFAD stated that 79,110 aid personnel are working in the region as part of relief efforts.

Tuesday evening, Vice President Fuat Oktay noted that they have started using all airports to organize aid efforts, and helicopters were set to continue work throughout the night as part of disaster relief efforts. Over 450,000 people have been sheltering in student dormitories, he added.

In an earlier news conference, Orhan Tatar, head of the Directorate of Earthquake and Risk Reduction called on all citizens to refrain from entering damaged buildings since unpredictable aftershocks could instantly cause them to collapse. He also called on citizens to not use telephones unless it is an emergency.

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Two major earthquakes and 648 aftershocks, that occured since Monday according to the official data from AFAD, also affected sea levels, which rose particularly in the Iskenderun district of Hatay.

Roads, squares and workplaces in the coastal area are flooded, while buildings and workplaces on the boulevard were evacuated due to risks.

After two major earthquakes that shook Türkiye, the sea level rose on the coastal road in the Çay neighborhood of Hatay’s Iskenderun district and overflowed the area near Mete Aslan Boulevard.

The sea level rose in Iskenderun district of Hatay, following 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that ocurred on Monday, Iskenderun, southeastern Türkiye, Feb. 8, 2023. (DHA Photo)
The sea level rose in Iskenderun district of Hatay, following 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that ocurred on Monday, Iskenderun, southeastern Türkiye, Feb. 8, 2023. (DHA Photo)
People, who visited the streets after the earthquake, were surprised that sea waters had flooded the roads, while it was notable that the sea did not recede even though it has been two days since the earthquake.

The Iskenderun District Governorate also warned people of the region not to enter damaged houses due to potential dangers posed by sea-water overflow in the coastal area. Citizens tried to remain in parks and closed neighborhood markets after the disaster.

Meanwhile resuce operations are continuing in all 10 provinces, with consoling news coming in from worsely hit provinces Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, where an 80-year old citizen named Abdurrahman and 3-year old Arif Kaan were resuced from the rubble, among others.

Two strong earthquakes on Monday jolted the southeastern part of the country. The earthquakes also hit several neighboring countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon. Syria, already reeling from a decadelong civil war, has been hit particularly badly with over 2,500 deaths and thousands of injuries.

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Türkiye announced the closure of schools until Feb. 13 across the country and declared a week of mourning. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Tuesday also announced that a three-month state of emergency had been declared in the 10 provinces hit the worst by the deadly earthquakes