Search and rescue continue after strong quake rattles Turkey, Greece
Agencies | Ankara
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
At least 43 people have been killed after a magnitude-6.6 earthquake jolted Izmir at the Turkish Aegean, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority has said.
Earlier on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that 667 injured people have been discharged from hospitals, 218 people were still undergoing treatment, 11 of whom are in serious condition, and 103 have been rescued so far following Friday's devastating earthquake.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca stressed that there has been no precedence for the current situation – an earthquake disaster during times of a pandemic.
"We should not succumb to the pandemic while fighting an earthquake disaster," Koca noted, urging everyone to continue taking measures against Covid-19.
Koca said that after 23 hours of rescue efforts for a mother and her three children from debris, one of the children died.
At least 831 people were injured in Izmir, and in neighbouring provinces, five in Manisa, two in Balikesir and 54 in Aydin, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
At least 484 aftershocks, with 37 of them over magnitude 4.0, were recorded, according to AFAD.
Search and rescue operations have been completed in nine buildings in Izmir – Turkey’s third-largest city by population – while work continues in eight others, said Kurum, adding damage assessment continues.
AFAD said one of the fatalities was a result of drowning.
103 people rescued
AFAD said the quake struck on Friday at 1151 GMT (2:51 pm local time) at a depth of 16.54 km (around 10 miles).
Local media showed wreckage of a multiple-story building in central Izmir, with people climbing it to reach rescuers. Plumes of dust were filmed in several spots in central Izmir.
A total of 103 people have been rescued from the debris so far. During search and rescue operations 62-year-old woman also was saved from the debris.
Expressing solidarity, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey stands by the "citizens affected by the earthquake."
"We took action to start the necessary work in the region with all our relevant institutions and ministers," Erdogan added.
Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said the quake was also felt in the metropolis, but no "damage" was reported.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said several provinces in the region, including Usak, Denizli, Manisa, Balikesir, Aydin and Mugla, sustained minor damages to some buildings.
Members of rescue services search for survivors in the debris of a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey, on Saturday.
Related Posts