Saudi Crown Prince offers condolences to Erdogan > Thousands of victims in both countries > Aftershocks haunt survivors > An international donation to provide support
Ankara: Said Abdel Razek – Idlib: Firas Karam – Damascus: Asharq Al-Awsat
Turkey and Syria lived under the horrors of a devastating earthquake that hit both sides of the border on Sunday night, followed by another strong earthquake on Monday morning, leaving thousands dead and injured, and sparking widespread panic among Turks and Syrians, as the strength of the first swallowed 7.8 and the second 7.6 on the Richter scale. In light of widespread solidarity with the two countries, local efforts were launched, supported by an international donation, to rescue those trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings that collapsed on their owners while they were sleeping.
While Turkey announced yesterday evening that the death toll from the earthquake had risen to 2,316, it was reported that more than 960 people were killed and at least 2,400 others were injured across Syria, in an indefinite toll announced by the Syrian Ministry of Health of the regime and relief teams in opposition-held areas.
Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, made a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which he offered condolences to him and the people of Turkey and the families of the earthquake victims, and his wishes for the injured a speedy recovery, stressing Saudi Arabia’s support for Turkey to overcome this natural disaster.
For his part, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Crown Prince for the noble fraternal feelings he expressed, appreciating the Kingdom’s standing by his country in this difficult circumstance.
Buildings destroyed by the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, southern Turkey, yesterday (Reuters)
The White House announced sending two search and rescue teams of 79 people each to Turkey and Syria, while Britain announced sending a search and rescue team to Turkey only, noting that the rescue efforts in Syria are being carried out by the “Civil Defense” (the White Helmets), which receives financial support from the Kingdom. United.
The two earthquakes struck the towns of Pazardik and Albistan in the state of Kahramanmarash (south), but their destructive power extended to 10 states and reached a number of surrounding countries, as the regions of northern Syria bordering the Turkish borders were affected, and the residents of Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and some regions in Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Armenia were affected. Georgia with them.
Some buildings continued to fall with aftershocks that followed the survivors, and houses of several floors were seen collapsing in an instant during the live broadcast of TV channels from search and rescue sites, and the impact of the tremors reached outside the epicenter of the two earthquakes, and the residents felt in Kayseri (central Turkey) and Manisa (west). with strong tremors
Some citizens in Gaziantep complained about the delay in the arrival of aid through the municipality affiliated with the ruling Justice and Development Party. A video of the Hatayspor team coach, Volkan Demirel, was widely spread as he made a crying appeal to send aid from everyone who could, not only to Hatay, but to the rest of the states.
Rescue teams are also searching under the rubble for Ghanaian Christian Atsu (31 years), Hatayspor player, and a number of his missing colleagues under the rubble of buildings. The player was previously in the ranks of the English clubs Chelsea and Newcastle and moved to Hatay from the Saudi “Al-Raed” last summer. Among the missing was the club’s sports director, Tanner Safwat, while players and other members of the technical staff were removed from the rubble in a dramatic rescue operation.
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