As of February 10, the number of people killed by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has exceeded 21,000, while more than 78,000 people are injured.
Specifically, according to CNN, the number of confirmed deaths in Turkey is 17,674 people, and in Syria is 3,377 people. The number of injured people was recorded up to 78,124. Al Jazeera news agency said that the death toll in the February 6 earthquake will continue to increase.
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| The devastation of the earthquake disaster in the city of Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey. (Photo: Vietnamnet) |
Citing authorities, CNN said rescuers were racing against time to find and pull survivors out of the rubble of collapsed buildings. About 40% of buildings in the epicenter of Kahramanmaras of Turkey were damaged, according to a report from Turkey’s Bogazici University.
Hundreds of thousands of people in both Turkey and Syria have been left homeless amid the freezing weather. Many have been forced to set up camps in makeshift shelters such as supermarket parking lots, mosques, roadsides or among the rubble.
Fitch, the international rating agency, assessed the economic damage that Turkey suffered.
“It is difficult to estimate as the situation continues to be unpredictable, but it is likely to exceed USD 2 billion and possibly reach more than USD 4 billion”.
Facing the difficult situation in Turkey and Syria, many countries quickly announced urgent support measures. More than 30 countries, including Vietnam, have sent rescue workers, specialized equipment, and relief supplies to the two affected areas.
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| AFAD staff members take a souvenir photo with Mr. Duong Nam Phuong (2nd from the right) after receiving donations. (Photo: Vietnamnet) |
The Vietnamese community in Turkey also upholds the humanitarian spirit and called for donations to help the Turkish people overcome the tribulation.
As the administrator of the group of Vietnamese community in Turkey, Duong Nam Phuong, who is living in Istanbul, has called for donations for the local people. His team contacted friends to collect winter clothes, personal belongings, and necessities.
A few hours ago, on the community page, Phuong shared that the group had delivered the second batch of donations to the Bakırköy district government in Istanbul for distribution to the disaster area, including 50 boxes of food sponsored by two companies along with 4 boxes of winter clothes donated by members of the group.
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| Duong Nam Phuong (far right) called on the Vietnamese in Turkey to donate to support the local people. (Photo: Vietnamnet) |
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| Donation boxes by the Vietnamese community in Turkey. (Photo: Vietnamnet) |
After receiving 54 boxes of goods, the Bakırköy district government expressed a sincere thank for the support of all Vietnamese people, individuals, and organizations for the Turkish people.
Besides calling for donations to support, Phuong regularly updates information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey on the earthquake situation on the community page, as well as sharing with members the instructions to avoid risks when an earthquake occurs.
According to Phuong, Vietnamese people in Turkey mainly live in the cities of Istanbul and Ankara, located more than 1,000km away from the earthquake site. In the provinces in the southeast region, where the earthquake occurred, infrastructure is not as good as in Istanbul, which is largely agricultural.
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| Donation boxes from the Vietnamese community and a signed receipt by the Bakırköy government. (Photo: Vietnamnet) |
In a press conference held on the afternoon of February 9, deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam Doan Khac Viet said that in the past few days, the Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey and the Vietnamese Embassy in Iran concurrently accredited to Syria have urgently contacted local authorities of the two host countries and the focal points of the Vietnamese community to find out the situation and condition of Vietnamese citizens in distress.
“So far, the rescue work is being actively deployed; there is no record of any Vietnamese citizens being injured or killed in the two countries,” Viet said.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey and the Vietnamese Embassy in Iran concurrently accredited to Syria will continue to closely monitor the case and be ready to take necessary measures to protect citizens.
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