By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Feb.07, GNA—A total of 2,769 teams from 65 countries have so far contacted Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to offer assistance after an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale hit the country yesterday.
In all, 30 governors and 47 district governors have been assigned to the disaster areas.
Some 25,693 search and rescue workers, 360 vehicles and 3,361 (with 629 crane) pieces of construction equipment have also been deployed to the affected areas.
The earthquake happened at Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş at 04.17 hours on Monday, February 6, 2023.
A total of 312 earthquakes occurred, including a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that hit Elbistan.
According to initially available information, 3,432 people lost their lives and 21,103 individuals were injured in Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis and Malatya.
According to Turkey’s Ministry of the Interior, the Air and Land Forces, the Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard had planned the deployment of staff members from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir with 54 aircrafts.
It said a total of 10 ships, (nine by the Naval Forces, and one by the Coast Guard Command), were employed to deliver personnel and materials to the affected areas.
In addition, the TCG skenderun ship was sent to skenderun sdemir Port.
It said 118 Mobile base stations (18 of them were activated) and 1,688 generators (701 of them were activated) and eight vessels for emergency correspondence with 508 staff were deployed to the earthquake zones.
The Ministry said to be able to carry out emergency correspondence with citizens in the disaster zones, GSM operators activated phone lines that were blocked due to unpaid debts.
It said 80 vsat satellite terminals were deployed to the disaster zones
The Ministry said the teams established within the scope of the Türkiye Disaster Response Plan within Provincial Directorates were deployed to the earthquake zones.
It said construction equipment and operators that belonged to the Directorate General of State Hydraulic Works and Directorate General of Forestry were deployed to the earthquake zones.
The teams of Ankara and Konya provincial directorates were also deployed to the earthquake zones.
“ A total of 300,000 blankets 54,511 medical tents, 102,254 beds, 178,732 pillows and sheets, 4,602 kitchen kits 3,761 heaters and 4,452 tube caps, 557 containers and 747 tents (112m2) were sent to the affected areas.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports hosted 48,416 people in dormitories. 34,084 beds are still available for citizens.
“The Turkish Red Crescent sent 79 catering vehicles, 16 mobile kitchens, one mobile food bank, five field kitchens, two mobile ovens, 86 vehicles. Two mobile kitchens and one mobile oven were sent by the Gendarmerie, Humanitarian Relief Foundation and foundations of Hayrat.. .”
“259,764 units of soup, 27,956 liters of water, 4,250 pieces of bread, 4,450 doner sandwiches, 371,333 treats and 16,700 bags of tea were distributed to the affected areas. Four mobilised Social Service Centers are charged in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, and Malatya provinces. 1,366 officers and 106 vehicles are sent to the region,” the Ministry said.
GNA