Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia will evacuate as many as 104 Indonesian citizens who were affected by the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 that rocked the southern part of Turkey on Monday (6/2), to the capital city of Ankara.
“The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara is heading to the location to evacuate 104 Indonesian citizens from five points, namely Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Adana, Hatay and Diyarbakır. They will be evacuated to Ankara,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah in a press conference which was attended virtually in Jakarta, Tuesday.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhammad Iqbal stated that the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara was on its way to Gaziantep Province and four other points to transport 104 Indonesian citizens who had to be evacuated immediately.
He said the Indonesian citizens had to be evacuated to Ankara because they no longer had proper housing. Meanwhile, shelters or safe houses prepared by the local government have exceeded capacity.
“For now, they are living in mosques, sports stadiums, and in tents on the field,” said Iqbal.
In addition, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara will also evacuate Indonesian citizens who were injured in the earthquake.
As of 7 February 2023, 10 Indonesian citizens were recorded as injured, four of whom had received treatment at a local hospital, while six others, including three people who had broken bones, would be evacuated to be treated at a hospital in Ankara.
Iqbal said that the evacuation process was not easy because it had to be carried out in cold conditions with temperatures around minus 7 degrees Celsius and snow storms.
“The evacuation process was very difficult for the Turkish government because apart from the extraordinary magnitude of the earthquake, with more than 10,000 buildings destroyed, but also the extreme weather which in the last two weeks there has been a snowstorm making it very difficult to carry out movements,” said Iqbal .
Earlier, aftershocks continued to shake Turkey after the central and southeastern parts of the country, as well as northern Syria, were hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8.
Also read: European countries send rescue teams to Turkiye and Syria
The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey has risen to 3,381, with 15,834 injured, according to a report by a Turkish news agency on Tuesday, citing Turkey’s disaster and emergency management authority (AFAD).
The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara explained that the main areas affected by the earthquake in Turkey included 12 regions, namely Adana, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Hatay, Kilis, Şanliurfa, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig, Elbistan.
The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara stated that there were around 6,500 Indonesian citizens living throughout Turkey. Of these, around 500 people live in the earthquake area and its surroundings.
Most Indonesian citizens are students and students, while some are Indonesian citizens who are married to local residents, as well as workers in international organizations. (mhn/bbs)
Comment