Over 31,000 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye last week, the country’s disaster agency said.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centred in Kahramanmaraş province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, which also included Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours on February 6.

Around 238,500 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

More than 158,000 people have been evacuated from the quake-hit regions so far, AFAD said.

Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said 41,791 buildings in 10 provinces that were affected by the massive earthquakes have been identified as severely damaged or marked to be demolished immediately.

Urging locals not to enter damaged buildings to withdraw their belongings without AFAD’s coordination, Kurum said they plan to finalize damage assessments on buildings within a week and begin construction at the latest by the end of the month.

A total of 9,401 foreign personnel from 77 countries are currently working in the field, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

It also said that 99 countries have offered assistance so far and seven more countries are expected to send rescue teams.

Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.