Taiwanese citizens donated NT$10.33 million (US$343,600) to assist victims of the Turkey Earthquake one day after the government established accounts for members of the public to make donations, the Ministry of Health and Wealth said Wednesday.

As of 5.p.m. Wednesday, the government-designated accounts have received about NT$10.33 million from 729 donors, the largest single donation being NT$500,000, the ministry said Wednesday evening.

The government on Tuesday established three special accounts to accept donations from private citizens to help victims, as the death toll continues to rise in areas of Turkey and Syria hit by a deadly magnitude-7.8 earthquake early Monday morning.

Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (???) on Wednesday said the Legislative Yuan would donate NT$1 million to support people affected by the earthquake.

Separately, the mayors of Taiwan’s six special municipalities, Chiang Wan-an (???) in Taipei, Hou Yu-ih (???) in New Taipei, Simon Chang (???) in Taoyuan, Lu Shiow-yen (???) in Taichung, Huang Wei-che (???) in Tainan, and Chen Chi-mai (???) in Kaohsiung,promised to donate a month’s salary each.

On Tuesday, the government increased its donation to Turkey from an initial pledge of US$200,000 to US$2 million.

As of late Wednesday evening Taiwan time, more than 11,000 people are confirmed to have died in the quake, including 8,574 people in Turkey and 2,662 in Syria, figures quoted by the BBC as being provided by authorities in both countries.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel