Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria could double, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator says

Two Spartan military transport aircraft flew the Bulgarian rescuers home last night, another team was flown out to replace them
Photo: Defence Ministry press service

The current death toll from the massive earthquakes in Turkey and Syria could double from its current level, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths stated. The official death toll in the two countries currently stands 28,191. According to the UN, no less than 870,000 people are in need of warm food. 5.3 million people could be left without a roof over their heads in Syria alone. 32,000 staff from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority and 8,294 rescuers from abroad are taking part in the rescue operations.

Two Spartan military transport aircraft flew the Bulgarian Red Cross mountain rescuers and Sofia municipality emergency rescuers home last night, alongside the trained dogs, after taking part in the rescue operations in different towns in Turkey. Another team was flown out from Sofia to replace them.

Unrest in southern Turkey has disrupted rescue efforts in some places following Monday's deadly earthquake, three rescue groups have said, the BBC reports. German rescuers and the Austrian army paused search operations on Saturday, citing clashes between unnamed groups.

Sofia municipality has set up 7 drop-off locations for donations for the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey, open 9 AM-6 PM, at some of the most popular marketplaces in Sofia. The chairman of the Sofia City Council Georgi Georgiev said in an interview with the BNR, that the items needed most are cold weather tents, blankets, generators, gas heaters and winter clothing. As of Monday, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria is also setting up donation spots at its offices throughout the country.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The topic of the so-called ''Shopi nation'' was discussed in Bosilegrad

A forum was held at the BTA press club in Bosilegrad, provoked by the attempts to promote the so-called ''Shopi nation'' in the Western Outlands. MPs, diplomats and representatives of the academic community from Bulgaria took part in the discussion...

published on 2/19/25 9:51 AM

Bulgarian-African Chamber of Commerce to develop relations with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Representatives of the Bulgarian-African Chamber of Commerce visited the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and met with its President Tsvetan Simeonov. Albena Jones, Dimitar Turlakov, and Anton Samsonov are among the founders of..

published on 2/19/25 9:08 AM
Photo: Jérémie Bergeron/Radio-Canada

Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautions Bulgarians on severe weather in Canada

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Bulgarian citizens traveling or residing in Canada keep themelselves well-informed about the current weather conditions, and regularly check the status of their flights. The Canadian Meteorological..

published on 2/19/25 8:55 AM