The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) announced that the number of earthquake victims has risen to 12,873 dead, and 62,937 injured, as of Thursday morning.

AFAD said in a statement that the affected areas witnessed 1,117 aftershocks after the two earthquakes that struck Kahramanmaraş, with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6, on Monday.

It indicated the evacuation of 28,044 people from the states affected by the earthquakes.

She pointed out the continuation of search and rescue efforts, with the participation of more than 24,000 people from local and international teams, including 5,709 personnel from other countries.

She added that the total number of participants in the relief work in the affected areas, including medical, relief and security teams and volunteers, amounted to 113,201 people.

AFAD, the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Turkish Red Crescent sent 137,929 tents and one million and 255,000 blankets to the affected areas.

Relief agencies continue to provide food to those affected through more than 160 mobile kitchens, food distribution carts, 39 field kitchens and 4 ovens.

At dawn on Monday, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed by another hours later with a magnitude of 7.6 and hundreds of violent aftershocks, which left huge losses of lives and property in both countries.

On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency for a period of 3 months in 10 states affected by the earthquake, namely Adana, Adi Yaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.