Appreciating India's help in the form of search and rescue teams that landed in the morning after two devastating earthquakes struck Turkey in 24 hours, Turkey's Ambassador to India Firat Sunel, on Tuesday, said that the second plane will land in the country before evening.
While addressing the press conference, Sunel said, "India is among the countries that send teams for search and rescue operations. And as you all know very well, India is among these foreign search and rescue teams. Early yesterday, just a few later than the first earthquake, Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) held a coordination meeting upon the instruction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
"Later, I also participated in the meeting with the Minister of External Affairs with NDRF members. And yesterday India sent a plane, a C-17 carrier to Turkey, carrying more than 50 search and rescue members, and experts, including research and rescue dogs and some equipment. This plane arrived early in the morning. And the rescue team in Turkey has already started the operation. Also early, this morning back in Turkey it is still in the air but we are also expecting to land before evening," he added.
On Monday morning, a massive earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale hits 26 km E of Nurdagi in Turkey, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Terming India as "Dost" (friend) Sunel said that New Delhi's help is a huge moral support for the country. He recalled the Covid period when Turkey sent two carriers loaded with medical assistance to India and said that the same thing is being repeated as New Delhi is also providing help to Ankara.
Turkey's Ambassador also recalled the proverb, "a friend in need is a friend indeed."
Giving the details about the damages and casualties caused by the earthquake, Sunel said, "Earthquake of the magnitude of 7.7 hits Turkey, just after a couple of hours another earthquake with magnitude 7.6 shakes Turkey... So almost 14 million people from 10 provinces were affected in southeastern Turkey, it's a big disaster. According to the sources, they say it is even one of the most devastating earthquakes in the history of western Asia. The death toll reached 3,432 (in Turkey) and 21,103 were injured, almost 6,000 buildings collapsed, and 3 airports were damaged."
"So far, we haven't received any requests from Indians for rescue after the earthquake in Turkey. The Indian mission in Ankara may have received some requests," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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