Turkey Family of Syrian earthquake survivors dies in fire

Turkey: Family of Syrian earthquake survivors dies in fire

Turkish media reported that a family of seven Syrians, including five children, survivors of the earthquake in southern Turkey died in a fire at the house they had taken refuge in in the center of the country on Friday.

According to the DHA news agency, the family had fled the hard-hit Nurdagi district in Gaziantep province (southeast) and was staying with relatives on the outskirts of Konya.

The fire, which broke out around 3am, was caused by the stove that heated the small mud house where the family slept.

Footage released by the DHA showed the home largely destroyed by flames amid snow-covered terrain.

The seven dead are a couple and their five children aged 13, 8, 6 and 4, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Five other people from the same family were injured in the fire.

Turkey is home to 3.7 million Syrian refugees who have fled the war that has ravaged their country since 2011, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6 has surpassed 41,000, according to the latest official reports.