Dakar, Feb 7 (APS) – ”Great disaster”, ”a great tragedy”: The Turkish ambassador in Dakar used very strong words to speak of the earthquake which shook Turkey causing more than 3 500 dead.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, killing at least 6,200 people in the two countries.
According to Hatice Nur Sagman, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Senegal, more than 3,500 people have lost their lives in her country.
”Today we are facing a great disaster, there is an earthquake which has caused over 3,500 deaths and around 22,000 injuries. The figures sometimes change, but these are the latest figures that were announced by the President of the Republic of Turkey”? she said in an interview with APS.
She considered what was happening in her country and in Syria to be “a great tragedy”.
Hatice Nur Sagman praised the efforts of the international community to come to her country.
”There are 53,317 rescue teams and 3,294 first aiders on the ground. More than 70 countries have offered us their support at the moment, there are 14 countries that are already on the ground,” said the diplomat, stressing that ”research is continuing”,
”We have some good surprises. Today rescuers rescued a mum and two daughters who spent several hours under the rubble,” she said.
She acknowledged that the interventions of rescue teams and first aiders are not easy because of weather conditions and the deterioration of air and land routes.
”There are only 14 countries on the ground because traveling is not easy. There are problems at the Airports and the roads are damaged. It is a region that is very cold too, the weather is freezing at around minus 5 degrees. This makes rescues even more difficult,” she explained.
The ambassador says not to lose hope in the search for survivors.
“We don’t lose hope, we hope there will always be survivors even though there are many victims,” she said.
The ambassador assured that the Turkish State has taken the necessary steps to take care of the victims.
”There are student hostels, schools that are open to them. They are placed in these centers for care. There is exemplary solidarity, everyone is mobilized to help,” she said.
