Eight French nationals are among the victims of the violent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, revising upwards a previous death toll of four.
"
The number of French people who have died as a result of this earthquake is currently eight people
," said Fanny Demassieux, deputy director of the Ministry's Crisis and Support Center (CDCS), during a hearing at the National Assembly.
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“
For several days, we have had no new individual victim situation
,” she added to the Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, suggesting that this assessment may be final.
To ensure their protection, the CDCS and the French embassy in Ankara had opened crisis cells.
More than 50,000 people perished in Turkey and Syria in the February 6 earthquake, according to a report obtained by AFP from several sources, and reassessed upwards on the Syrian side.
In Syria, the death toll stands at 5,951, according to a report compiled on Tuesday from cross-checks from several sources.
The latest Turkish death toll from Sunday is 44,374 dead.