ISTANBUL: The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday rose to more than 4,000. According to the World Health Organisation the death toll could rise eight-fold.
India at midnight on Monday dispatched the 1st batch of earthquake relief material to Turkey, along with NDRF search and rescue teams, specially trained dog squads, medical supplies, drilling machines and other necessary equipment.
Further war hit Ukraine also offered rescue and relief assistance to Turkey and Syria. Extending condolences, the Dept of State also mentioned to be in close contact with officials in providing humanitarian aid. Overall 40 countries have offered help to quake hit Turkey.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared to hoist the flag at half-mast until sunset on February 12, in the country and foreign representations.
Thousands of people in Turkey and Syria have been killed and thousands more were injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey’s Gaziantep province near the Syrian border early Monday. The earthquake is the strongest to hit Turkey since 1939, when a quake of the same magnitude killed 300,000 people. Another earthquake magnitude 6.7 aftershock followed 11 minutes later, as well as a 7.6 aftershock several hours later, according to the US Geological Survey.