ANKARA: The death toll in Turkey and neighbouring Syria surpassed 40,000, as Turkey’s trading resumed following last week’s suspension due to the earthquakes.
The number of dead in Turkey and Syria rose to 40,835 according to Turkish officials and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which uses a network of activists on the ground. Tens of thousands of people were still missing.
According to Reuters report, a 42-year-old woman was rescued alive in Turkey's Kahramanmaras on Wednesday, 222 hours after the devastating earthquake that struck the country on Feb 6, 2023.
The benchmark Borsa Istanbul 100 Index rose 5.9% at the open on Wednesday, partly recouping tens of billions of dollars in losses that followed the deadly quakes.
Investors took heart from government measures to channel billions of liras from state institutions and steps by the exchange to contain volatility. The index extended gains to as much as 8.3% in early trading.
Turkish banks will allocate 50 billion liras (US$2.7 billion) from their 2022 income to help with the relief efforts, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting late Tuesday.
