Erdogan Says Rescuers, Departments Working On Eliminating Consequences Of Earthquake

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published February 06, 2023 | 08:20 AM

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2023) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says various departments and rescue services are working on eliminating the consequences of the powerful earthquake that occurred in the early hours of Monday.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), a 7.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in Kahramanmaras Province at 04:17 a.m. local time on Monday (01:17 GMT). It was felt in at least six nearby provinces (Hatay, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakir, Malatya and Sanliurfa) and was followed by numerous aftershocks.

"I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaras and was felt in many parts of our country.

All our relevant units are on alert under the coordination of AFAD," Erdogan said on Telegram on Monday.

He added that search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the areas affected by the earthquake.

"Our Ministry of Interior and Health, AFAD, Governorships and all other institutions started their work rapidly," Erdogan said, adding that he hoped that Turkey could "get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage."