North Korea expresses condolences to Türkiye for deadly quakes

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has expressed condolences to her Turkish counterpart following the deadly earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye on Monday, local media reported on Thursday.

In a letter to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Choe Son-hui expressed her condolences to the families of the victims of the two earthquakes and expressed hope for the quick recovery of those who were injured, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The death toll from Monday's massive earthquakes in Türkiye has risen to 12,873, according to Turkish authorities, with more than 62,937 injured.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaraş province, were felt by 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Şanlıurfa.

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

More than 113,200 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said in a statement.