UNITED NATIONS 

The UN General Assembly held a minute of silence for the victims of the deadly earthquake in Türkiye and Syria on Monday.

President of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi extended his deepest condolences to the governments and peoples of Türkiye and Syria for the tragic loss of life and damage.

He invited members states to stand and observe a moment of silence before a session started at the 193-member General Assembly.

Earlier UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was "deeply saddened" to hear of the extensive loss of life in Türkiye and Syria.

"My heart goes out to the people of Türkiye and Syria in this hour of tragedy," Guterres said in a statement.

"I send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish speedy recovery to the injured. The United Nations is fully committed to supporting the response. Our teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance."

The UN chief called on the international community to help the thousands of families hit by the disaster many of whom were already in dire need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge.

The death toll from massive earthquakes in southern Türkiye has risen to 1,541 with 9,733 others wounded, according to Vice President Fuat Oktay.