TWO Filipinos were hurt following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck eastern Turkey and Syria, the Philippine Embassy there said on Thursday, February 9, 2023.
In a statement, the embassy said the Filipinos who sustained injuries “are now recovered.”
“We are thankful that a number of our kababayan are safe and we will not give up hope for those that cannot yet be contacted. The Embassy will act swiftly and decisively for all confirmed reports,” it said.
The embassy said it is continuously trying to reach out to 248 Filipinos in the earthquake-affected areas in the country, including Gaziantep, Hatay, Adana, Mersin, and Sanliurfa especially through the network of Filipino community leaders.
It said they have deployed a team that has already met with several Filipinos in the cities of Adana and Iskenderun, which were among the hardest-hit areas in Hatay Province.
It said four Filipinos were evacuated from Adana to the safer city of Mersin.
The team distributed relief goods, including food, blankets, water, and cash to the affected Filipinos.
“We recognize that this is a meticulous process that may require more than a few days. By working hand-in-hand, we hope to ensure that as many Filipinos as possible are accounted for,” the embassy said.
The Philippine Embassy in Turkey may be contacted via telephone and WhatsApp (+905345772344), via email at ankara.pe@dfa.gov.ph, and Facebook at www.facebook.com/PHin Turkey.
The death toll due to the earthquake, which struck the southeast region Turkey on Monday, February 6, has climbed to over 15,000 as of Wednesday, February 8.
On Wednesday, the Philippine government deployed a contingent consisting of 85 personnel from various government agencies to assist in the conduct of search, rescue and retrieval operations in Turkey. (SunStar Philippines)