Turkey earthquake’s death toll hits 73 even as 70-year-old pulled out alive

"According to the latest data, 73 people died, 961 others were injured," AFAD said in a statement.  

Ankara (Turkey): The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey's western Izmir province has gone up to 73, according to the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

"According to the latest data, 73 people died, 961 others were injured," AFAD said in a statement.

Rescue workers have extricated a 70-year-old man from a collapsed building in western Turkey after a powerful earthquake struck Turkey and Greece on Friday injuring more than 900.

Ahmet Citim, 70, was rescued from the rubble shortly after midnight on Sunday and is doing well at hospital, according to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

But on the third day since the disaster, search-and-rescue teams appeared to be finding more bodies than survivors in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city.

Earlier, it was reported that the death toll from Friday's earthquake stood at 69, while the number of injured was at 949.

According to Turkey's Environment and Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum, the earthquake completely destroyed or severely damaged over 40 buildings, while over a thousand buildings were partially damaged.

There have been 850 aftershocks, 40 registering magnitudes stronger than 4.0, AFAD said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Izmir to monitor rescue efforts.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said 26 badly damaged buildings would be demolished. “It’s not the earthquake that kills but buildings,” he added, repeating a common slogan.