According to preliminary information, more than 2,300 people died in one of the most devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria border area. On Monday afternoon, the search was still on for countless buried people.
Scary footage of the earthquake in Turkey tonight.
pic.twitter.com/NweJRwrnhn— Faytuks News Δ (@Faytuks) February 6, 2023
The EU response to the earthquake is to be coordinated at a crisis meeting. The Swedish EU Presidency is convening a special meeting at expert level today. The aim of the Council Presidency is to coordinate EU support in close cooperation with the European Commission. The Integrated Political Crisis Response Regime (IPCR) is used in severe and complex crises, such as terrorist attacks or health crises such as the coronavirus pandemic. You should u. enable the rapid exchange of information.
UN staff in Syria and Turkey
According to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, United Nations staff are in Turkey and Syria to provide assistance and assess what support is needed.
“We are counting on the international community to help the thousands of families affected by this disaster,” the statement said. Many of them were in urgent need of humanitarian aid even before the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Syria officially requests international aid
Syria has reached out to United Nations member states, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other aid agencies, asking them to “support the Syrian government’s efforts to deal with the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.”
Turkey: Schools remain closed, sporting events canceled
After the earthquake, schools in Turkey will remain closed for a week. Education Minister Mahmut Özer announced that classes would be suspended until February 13.
Turkey is also canceling all sporting events, according to Turkish Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu. “All national sporting events scheduled to take place in our country have been suspended until further notice.”
Already more than 2,300 dead
According to preliminary information, the death toll has risen to more than 2,300 people. In Turkey, the civil protection counts 1,500 dead, from Syria 800 fatalities are reported.
Pope expresses condolences to earthquake victims
Pope Francis has expressed his condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. In two telegrams to the diplomatic missions of the Holy See in Turkey and Syria, the pope said it was “with deep sadness that he learned of the great loss of human life” and assured “all those affected of his spiritual closeness”.
Romania sends rescuers and search dogs to Turkey
The EU country Romania has sent emergency services and search dogs to Turkey to rescue people who may have been buried after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
60 rescuers and four specially trained dogs took off in three military aircraft from Bucharest’s Otopeni Airport to Turkey, along with seven tons of equipment, according to Romanian media, citing civil protection. The aid mission has been agreed with the United Nations and is part of the EU civil protection mechanism.
Turkish lira falls to record low
The Turkish national currency, which has been weak for months, has fallen to a record low again after the severe earthquake in Turkey and Syria. In return, the dollar has risen and, at 18.85 lira, has at times been more expensive than ever.
Report: People in Syria dig mass graves
According to an eyewitness report, residents in northern Syria are digging mass graves. People in the city of Idlib want to bury the victims of the disaster in it, reports a dpa activist.
Videos showing dozens of people digging mass graves are also spreading on social media. In the civil war country, entire rows of houses have collapsed, the foundations of which were often dilapidated by air raids.
Sports events suspended in Turkey
After the earthquake disaster, all sporting events in Turkey have been cancelled. “All national sporting events scheduled to take place in our country have been suspended until further notice,” Turkey’s Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu wrote on Twitter.
Rescue teams and relief supplies from Bulgaria
Bulgaria is sending rescue teams and relief supplies to Turkey. It is about medical teams, 58 firefighters as well as technology and tents, announce the Ministers of Defense and Interior, Dimitar Stoyanov and Ivan Demerdzhiev. Two transport planes with helpers and goods on board are to take off from the Bulgarian capital Sofia towards neighboring Turkey.
Cyprus felt second strong earthquake
Scores of people ran onto the streets of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus after the second earthquake in Turkey. “We felt it strongly,” says a resident of the capital Nicosia, according to media reports.
Cyprus is around 300 kilometers southwest of the epicenter of the disaster in Turkey. Information about significant damage in Cyprus is not available.
