The Turkish government on Friday solicited humanitarian assistance from its Nigerian counterpart for victims of the recent devastating earthquake in the country.
In a statement in Abuja, the Turkish Embassy said the assistance would cushion the effect of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed 22,000 and devastated some cities of South-eastern Turkey and Syria during the week.
President Recep Erdogan had during the week declared a national emergency in Turkey and appealed for international humanitarian support for the victims of the disaster.
The Embassy urged other public-spirited individuals in Nigeria to send the items to the victims of the earthquake via Turkish airlines and indicate the addresses in Abuja and Lagos where the items would be dropped.
The statement read: “To the kind attention of volunteers who wish to make in-kind donations to those affected by the powerful earthquakes in Turkiye.
“Donations of the following most-needed items will be highly appreciated: Winter clothing for adults and children; winter jacket, overcoat, raincoat, boots, sweater, trousers, gloves neckpiece, neck scarf, beret, cop Socks, underwear.
“Other items are a tent, bed mattress (for the tents), blanket, sleeping bag, mummy Bag, Catalytic stove with a tube, heater cylinder, tube vacuum flask, thermos, torch, power bank, and generator.
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Emergency workers in southern Turkey have rescued a 10-year-old boy from a collapsed house, four days after an earthquake caused devastation across large parts of the country’s border with Syria.
The boy had been trapped under the rubble in the town of Kahramanmaraş for more than 100 hours.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF), which has been assisting with the rescue work, tweeted on Friday.
“The rescue teams provided the boy with lifesaving medical treatment during the rescue and afterwards transferred him to a hospital for further medical treatment,’’ the IDF said.
Israel sent more than 380 aid workers to Turkey in recent days as part of a relief operation, including doctors, nurses and paramedics.
It has been a tumultuous 24+ hours for Türkiye, as the nation stands perplexed and unknowing of what lies beyond the oblivious wall, after experiencing what could well be the most devastating disaster of the century thus far.
In a heartening display of relief, the Turkish Wrestling Federation reported that eight wrestlers have been rescued from the wreckages in the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes thus far.
Kahramanmaraş Municipality athletes tragically found themselves beneath the debris of the quake, the seismic force of which was centered in Kahramanmaraş and left its mark throughout many provinces, such as Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Şanlıurfa.
National wrestler Taha Akgül took to his social media account to report that the building housing dozens of athletes had been demolished, with an estimated 30-40 wrestlers inside.
The Turkish Wrestling Federation has declared that their rescue operations are still in force, with 8 athletes having been miraculously pulled from the wreckage thus far.
The Federation commented on the matter saying, “Rescue efforts continue for our wrestlers, who were among the athletes of Kahramanmaraş Municipality who were under the rubble after the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş. The number of wrestlers rescued so far has reached 8. The search and rescue works continue with the great dedication and faith of our wrestling family.”
Sadly, the future looks grim for a group of athletes from Malatya, with their fates far from certain.
The 11 volleyball players and four amputee footballers from Malatya Metropolitan Belediyespor, who were taking part in the playoff of TVF Men’s Volleyball 2nd League 6th Group, are now faced with an uncertain future, as the Kırçuval Hotel in Battalgazi, where they were staying, was reduced to rubble in the wake of the devastating earthquake.
Nothing definitive has been established, but the search-and-rescue operations remain underway to save those still entombed beneath the wreckage.
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Adding to the heartrending tragedy, Yeni Malatyaspor revealed that their goalkeeper Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan was still entombed beneath the rubble, and that there had been no communication from him as yet.
Clearly overcome with emotion, his wife, Kübra Türkaslan took to social media with a desperate cry for help, pleading, “Eyüp has been buried under the rubble for 30 hours, someone please come to his aid.”
She exclaimed in despair, “This place is an utter disaster. We must do something to help Eyüp, who has been trapped beneath the rubble for an agonizing 30 hours with no hope of rescue from the debris without a crane or other heavy equipment.”
An apocalyptic dagger of despair plunged deep into the hearts of Türkiye on Monday, when the country awoke to a harrowing sight – the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that resulted in more than 8,500 fatal casualties, more than 49,000 people sustaining injuries, and almost 15,000 buildings reportedly reduced to dust and debris.
As anticipated although not easy to accept, the inevitable devastation of the earthquake did not spare local sports clubs, leaving several individuals and teams adversely affected.
Hatayspor, Gaziantep FC and Yeni Malatyaspor have all been particularly hard-hit by the calamity.
On Monday, reports emerged that Hatayspor forward Christian Atsu and their sporting director Taner Savut had been buried under debris, with the former later being rescued alive, but unfortunately the latter’s fate is still shrouded in mystery.
Not knowing whether it was a stroke of luck or simply destiny, Gaziantep FK’s team was granted a fortuitous leave, sending most of their football players out of the city.
For Yeni Malatyaspor, it was not the kind of news that anyone would want to receive.
While many of their players were not in the city due to the permission given after the Çaykur Rizespor match, their goal minder Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan stayed behind.
When tragedy struck, he was left entombed beneath the debris with everyone clinging to the hope that he would be rescued unscathed; yet, heartbreakingly, his lifeless body was recovered on Tuesday.
The teams of the Turkish Football Federation’s 2nd League located in the earthquake zone, such as Adıyaman Football Club, Şanlıurfaspor, Amed Sportive Activities, Diyarbekirspor, Iskenderunspor, as well as those of the 3rd League, including Karaköprü Belediyespor, Integrated Solar Elazığspor, 23 Elazığ Football Club, Yarımoğlu Sigorta Kahramanmaraşspor, Osmaniyespor FK and Malatya Arguvanspor, have all been severely affected by the disaster.
Sadness befell many teams in the Regional Amateur League, especially those in the 1st, 2nd and 7th Groups when the disastrous event occurred.
Kahramanmaraş Istiklalspor, the Group 2 leaders, were struck by tragedy when one of their player, Taner Kahriman, was tragically killed after being trapped under rubble.
In a heartbreaking announcement on his social media account, Iskenderunspor President Hakan Bolat declared that goalkeeper trainer Uğur Kurt and U19 player Burak Duraltı were still trapped in the wreckage.
He also revealed that Halil Ibrahim Ölmez who is part of the technical team, was rescued from the debris but currently remains in intensive care.
The remaining athletes and their families had been safely evacuated from Iskenderun.
Gaziantep’s ALG Spor and Onvo Hatayspor in Turkcell Women’s Football Super League Group A, Amed Sports Club and Bitexen Adana İdmanyurduspor in Group B, Doğuş Gold Gaziantep Asya Spor and Birfen College Hatay Defne Spor in the 1st League were all shaken by the devastating earthquake.
Volleyball couple killed Betül Çoban Çakır, the spiker of Merinos Volleyball of Gaziantep, competing in the TVF Women’s 1st League Group B, and her volleyball player husband Bedrettin Çakır tragically could not be saved.
Tragically, Mehmet Can Ağırbaş, one of the athletes who had been pushing for the playoffs in Malatya Metropolitan Belediyespor Team’s TVF Men’s Volleyball 2nd League, 6th Group, was buried beneath the rubble, losing his life.
Turkish Men’s Handball Süper Lig leaders Vefakent Hatay Metropolitan Belediyespor’s Cemal Kütahya and his family, were said to be under the rubble in Hatay.
There are many teams in the volleyball leagues in the region hit by the earthquake.
Manas Energy Hatay Metropolitan Municipality, which competes in the Efeler League, Çukurova Municipality Adana Demirspor of the Sultans League, Hatay Erzin Yeşilkent in the Men’s 1st League, Gaziantep Genclikspor of the 15th Group in the Women’s 2nd League, and Imamoğlu Municipality from the 13th Group were all affected by the earthquake.
Not to mention, Adana Metropolitan Municipality and Seyhan Municipality, all the teams in the Men’s 2nd League 5th Group, and the GAP Youth and Elazig Aksaray Youth clubs from the 6th Group were also affected by the devastating earthquake.
Among the wrestlers who participated in the Feb. 12 Tournament held in Kahramanmaraş, some of the names from the Turkish wrestlers who were among the detritus were salvaged.
It was reported that wrestlers from France, Kosovo and Uzbekistan were evacuated.
Basketballer Aydoğan under rubble It is reported that as of Wednesday Nilay Aydoğan, the national basketball player of Çankaya University, who plays in the ING Türkiye Women’s Basketball Süper Lig, was still trapped under the rubble in Malatya.
The Gaziantep Basketball team, one of the regional teams in the Turkish Basketball Süper Lig, could not return to Gaziantep thanks to their weekend match against Büyükçekmece.
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Fortunately for them, the team also traveled to Germany for the FIBA European Cup challenge.
Women’s Basketball Süper Lig team Tufan Metalurji Hatay Metropolitan Belediyespor, Women’s Basketball League teams Elaziğ Special Provincial Administration, Tarsus Municipality and Elaziğ Basketball were the teams affected in the region.
Speaking to reporters,President Erdoğan said another 49,133 people were injured and a total of 6,444 buildings collapsed in the earthquake.
As of Tuesday morning, AFAD stated that 79,110 aid personnel are working in the region as part of relief efforts.
Tuesday evening, Vice President Fuat Oktay noted that they have started using all airports to organize aid efforts, and helicopters were set to continue work throughout the night as part of disaster relief efforts. Over 450,000 people have been sheltering in student dormitories, he added.
In an earlier news conference, Orhan Tatar, head of the Directorate of Earthquake and Risk Reduction called on all citizens to refrain from entering damaged buildings since unpredictable aftershocks could instantly cause them to collapse. He also called on citizens to not use telephones unless it is an emergency.
Two major earthquakes and 648 aftershocks, that occured since Monday according to the official data from AFAD, also affected sea levels, which rose particularly in the Iskenderun district of Hatay.
Roads, squares and workplaces in the coastal area are flooded, while buildings and workplaces on the boulevard were evacuated due to risks.
After two major earthquakes that shook Türkiye, the sea level rose on the coastal road in the Çay neighborhood of Hatay’s Iskenderun district and overflowed the area near Mete Aslan Boulevard.
The sea level rose in Iskenderun district of Hatay, following 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that ocurred on Monday, Iskenderun, southeastern Türkiye, Feb. 8, 2023. (DHA Photo) The sea level rose in Iskenderun district of Hatay, following 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that ocurred on Monday, Iskenderun, southeastern Türkiye, Feb. 8, 2023. (DHA Photo) People, who visited the streets after the earthquake, were surprised that sea waters had flooded the roads, while it was notable that the sea did not recede even though it has been two days since the earthquake.
The Iskenderun District Governorate also warned people of the region not to enter damaged houses due to potential dangers posed by sea-water overflow in the coastal area. Citizens tried to remain in parks and closed neighborhood markets after the disaster.
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Meanwhile resuce operations are continuing in all 10 provinces, with consoling news coming in from worsely hit provinces Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, where an 80-year old citizen named Abdurrahman and 3-year old Arif Kaan were resuced from the rubble, among others.
Two strong earthquakes on Monday jolted the southeastern part of the country. The earthquakes also hit several neighboring countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon. Syria, already reeling from a decadelong civil war, has been hit particularly badly with over 2,500 deaths and thousands of injuries.
Türkiye announced the closure of schools until Feb. 13 across the country and declared a week of mourning. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Tuesday also announced that a three-month state of emergency had been declared in the 10 provinces hit the worst by the deadly earthquakes
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Kahramanmaraş after a series of high-magnitude earthquakes that shook 10 provinces and said that all the country’s resources have been mobilized, calling for unity.
Speaking to reporters, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan updated the latest death toll to 8,574. He said another 49,133 people were injured and a total of 6,444 buildings collapsed in the earthquake.
Türkiye has taken action with all its institutions since Monday’s deadly quakes, the president added, underlining that all resources have been mobilized.
“Our citizens should not worry, we will never allow them to stay on the street,” he said and highlighted that earthquake victims can stay in contracted hotels in Antalya, Alanya and Mersin provinces.
Erdoğan visited the epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Kahramanmaraş, and will then continue to Hatay province.
The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, struck 10 provinces and affected more than 13 million people.
More than 7,000 soldiers, according to the Turkey’s Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, have been dispatched on disaster and relief duties in the country.
The death toll in the two countries soared to more than 8,700 on Wednesday morning, with the majority of the casualties reported in Turkey.
According to the Turkish state media, no fewer than 6,234 people had died and 37,011 were injured. In government-controlled parts of Syria, at least 812 people were killed and 1,449 injured, according to state media.
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In Syria’s rebel-held northwest, civil defense workers reported 1,280 deaths and more than 2,600 injured — a number they said they expected to rise significantly with hundreds still trapped under rubble.
Latest information says Australia is sending an urban search-and-rescue team of up to 72 people to Turkey to help local authorities who are working against time, and freezing temperatures, to dig people out of the rubble following two large earthquakes.
The Turkish chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Student (NANS-Turkey), has given a safety advisory to Nigerian students in the country following a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the European nation on Monday.
The earthquake which rocked the country and neighbouring Syria, has reportedly killed over 4,000 people so far, with several thousands of others, including Nigerians, still trapped under rubble of collapsed buildings.
While giving the safety advisory on Tuesday, the NANS-Turkey President, Caleb Olasupo, advised Nigerian students living in the country to “stay calm and follow instructions from local authority.”
“Solidarity greeting to all Nigerian students. In light of the recent earthquakes of different magnitude that is occurring in Turkey,” the advisory reads.
“We would like to remind everyone to prioritise their safety. Please, follow any instructions from local authorities and avoid entering any damaged buildings or structures.
The passenger flights to Kahramanmaraş, Hatay and Gaziantep airports were suspended after a major 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye’s southeast province early Monday morning.
The flights were halted so that planes carrying rescue teams and relief supplies could reach the region as quickly as possible.
Currently, only planes carrying aid and rescue teams are allowed to land and take off from the two airports. Hatay Airport, whose runway was damaged because of the earthquake, was closed for all flights.
The earthquake that hit 10 Turkish provinces and northern Syria occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş at 4:17 a.m. local time (1:17 a.m. GMT), according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The earthquake left over 1,500 people dead and more than 9,000 others injured.
Rescue operations are underway in Hatay and the affected areas, with the AFAD, the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE), 112 emergency health services, police, gendarmerie and fire brigade teams being dispatched to the districts to ramp up the rescue work.
In Iskenderun, a part of the State Hospital, the Catholic Church, Mithatpaşa Primary School and many buildings tumbled to the ground, while most roads remained blocked off for regular vehicles.
Türkiye announced the closure of schools until Feb. 13 across the country following the deadly earthquake that rocked 11 provinces claiming several lives and causing massive devastation on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Malatya, Education Minister Mahmut Özer said schools will remain closed for a week to focus on the rehabilitation after the earthquake and to mourn the losses.
The minister and his deputies held a crisis meeting in the disaster zone. Officials prepared a list of undamaged schools with residencies, teachers’ hotels, schools and sports centers, for accommodating earthquake victims.
In a bid to mitigate the crisis, the ministry sent TL 1 million in emergency aid to 11 provinces affected by the earthquake while local psychologists headed to the disaster zone to provide support to the affectees.
At least 1,541 people lost their lives while 9,733 people were injured after major earthquakes with 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes struck the southeast of the country on Monday.
Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said 130 aftershocks were reported following the quakes, and 2,834 buildings were demolished so far
Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant (NPP), now under construction in the country’s south, suffered no damage from the earthquakes that jolted the region on Monday morning, officials said.
“Our experts did not detect any damage to the buildings, equipment or cranes in the field. Construction and assembly work continues,” said Anastasia Zoteeva, head of the Akkuyu Nuclear project company, adding that the earthquake was felt at a magnitude of approximately 3 in the region in Mersin, where the plant is being built.
According to Zoteeva, state civil defense and emergency protection units are cooperating with the plant’s emergency units and are preparing to send equipment and personnel to the region.
The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (1:17 a.m. GMT) in Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaraş, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), affecting neighboring provinces, leaving over 1,500 dead and more than 9,000 injured.
Akkuyu on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast will be the country’s first nuclear-powered power plant. The plant, expected to have an installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts and four reactors, is set to begin producing power later this year
At least 1,600 people died Monday in Türkiye when two major earthquakes and 145 aftershocks struck the southeast of the country, officials said.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 1,651 people were killed and 11,119 others were injured following the earthquakes, which were felt in 11 provinces, including Malatya, Şanlıurfa, Osmaniye and Diyarbakır, although the toll threatened to climb much higher because of the heavy damage.
According to the country’s disaster agency, the strong earthquakes originated in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş.
Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 4.17 a.m. (1:17 a.m. GMT) and was centered in the Pazarcık district.
The quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers (4.3 miles).
It was followed by a 6.4 magnitude quake that struck southeastern Gaziantep province.
A third earthquake with a 6.5 magnitude also hit Gaziantep.
The initial earthquake was also felt in other southeastern provinces, including Diyarbakır and neighboring countries including Lebanon and Syria.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took to Twitter to convey get-well wishes to citizens affected by the initial earthquake.
He added that AFAD and other units are “on alert.”
He noted that rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the province affected by the earthquake.
“Our Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Health, the AFAD, provincial governorships and all other institutions started their work rapidly.”
President Erdoğan who arrived at the Presidency of AFAD to coordinate the studies regarding the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, said that Türkiye was shaken by the biggest disaster since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake in the last century, adding: ”According to the findings so far, 1,014 of our citizens have lost their lives and 7,634 of our citizens have been injured. The number of people rescued from under the rubble has reached 2,470. The number of demolished buildings is 2,834.”
”Its center was determined as the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş and its moment magnitude was measured as 7.7 according to the last evaluation. The earthquake was felt over a wide area,” the president maintained.
“The earthquake caused destruction in Kahramanmaraş, as well as in Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Adana provinces,” Erdoğan noted.
”Despite minor damage in other provinces relatively close to the earthquake center, it is understood that the real destruction has taken place here. Serious destructions have also occurred in the cities of our southern neighbor Syria, close to our borders. Our state has taken action with all its institutions since the earthquake occurred.”
“We are also coordinating our work after the earthquake. We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage. We will continue our work.”
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu also said that six earthquakes with a magnitude above 6.0 hit the country early Monday.
Western Syria A powerful earthquake killed dozens and injured hundreds in northern and western Syria early on Monday, state media said, as rescue teams battled heavy rain and sleet in a search for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
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“No official numbers yet but dozens reported dead and hundreds injured, many trapped under the rubble,” the force, known as the White Helmets, said in a Twitter message.
Several buildings in the affected areas had already endured damage during Syria’s nearly 12-year civil war
Türkiye declared seven days of national mourning after catastrophic earthquakes and 145 aftershocks devastated the country’s southeastern provinces, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday.
In a message posted on his official Twitter account, the president said the country has declared a week of mourning and will lower its flags to half-mast at home and at diplomatic missions across the world until Feb. 12, 2023.
At least 1,651 people were killed while 11,119 others were injured following magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes with an epicenter in Kahramanmaraş province devastated 10 provinces in the country’s southeast.
Tremors from the earthquake that rocked Türkiye and neighboring Syria on Monday were felt as far away as Greenland, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland said.
![10-yo Turkish boy found, rescued breathing under rubble after 4 days of disastrous earthquake. [Video]](https://newsworthy3news.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/screenshot_20230210-174433-01.jpeg?w=400&h=300&crop=1)
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