Saudi Arabia sends new aid plane to quake victims in Türkiye

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday sent a new plane loaded with humanitarian aid for the victims of last month's deadly earthquakes that killed thousands in Türkiye.

The plane carrying 86 tons of shelter materials, including 1,700 tents, 10,800 winter bags, 2,520 mattresses and 1,800 blankets, flew from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to Gaziantep Airport in Türkiye, the state news agency SPA reported.

The plane was the 16th to have been dispatched by the oil-rich kingdom for the quake victims in Türkiye.

Following the earthquake disaster, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center launched a donation drive on Feb. 8 for the quake victims in Türkiye and Syria.

At least 48,448 people were killed in the powerful earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to official figures.

More than 13 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the powerful quakes that rocked 11 provinces, including Kahramanmaraş, Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazığ, and Şanlıurfa.

The quakes also killed around 6,000 people in Syria, according to UN figures.