No Thais reported killed in Turkey-Syria quakes as death toll soars over 4,300
So far, no Thais have been reported injured or killed in the huge earthquakes that hit central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The epicentre of the magnitude 7.8 quake early on Monday was Karamanmaras province near the Turkey-Syria border, about 600 kilometres east of the Turkish capital Ankara, said Ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke on Monday evening.
The quake was also felt around the Mediterranean rim in Cyprus and Lebanon. It was followed in the early afternoon by another large, magnitude 7.7 earthquake centred on Turkey’s Gaziantep province, which was also felt in Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey.
The death toll surpassed 4,300 as of 9am Thai time on Tuesday, with Turkish authorities reporting 2,921 fatalities and Syria recording 1,444, bringing the total to 4,365. However, the toll is expected to rise significantly as search and rescue teams examine collapsed buildings.
Kanchana said the Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences to the government and people of Turkey. She added that the ministry is ready to assist Thais in Turkey via the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara.
Kanchana said the earthquake’s epicentre is some distance from Thai communities living in Istanbul and Ankara. Only a small number of Thais live in Gaziantep where the second quake hit, she said.
Thais affected by the earthquake can reach the embassy in Ankara by phoning +90 (533) 641 5698, available 24/7. People can also visit the official embassy page at facebook.com/rteankara/ for updates on the incident.
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