There Are No Indonesian Citizens Who Are Victims Of The Turkish Earthquake

Earthquake atmosphere in Turkey. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara stated that so far no Indonesian citizen (WNI) was the victim of a magnitude 7 earthquake in the Aegean region, Turkey, Friday local time.

"So far, no reports have been obtained regarding any Indonesian citizens who were directly affected by the earthquake," said the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara Harliyanto, the Coordinator for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens in a written statement, quoted from Antara, Saturday, October 31.

Apart from coordinating with local authorities, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara and the Indonesian Citizens Protection Task Force in Turkey also continue to collect information from Indonesian community nodes in the earthquake-affected areas.

The earthquake was felt as far as Istanbul, which is about 400 kilometers from the earthquake site. Temporary info, a number of buildings in the center of Izmir City, the third largest city in Turkey after Istanbul and Ankara, were heavily damaged.

Apart from Izmir, the cities affected around the area include Kota Usak, Denizli, Manisa, Balikesir, Aydin and Mugla.

Until now, there has been no official report regarding the victims due to the disaster. Based on data from the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara, there are around 98 Indonesian citizens living in Izmir and the surrounding areas that are affected. Most of the Indonesian citizens work as spa workers and students.

Meanwhile throughout Turkey, there are around 5,000 Indonesian citizens, mostly 2,700 students and 1,500 working in spa services.

As a protection effort, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara has activated a hotline number [phone] which can be contacted by Indonesian citizens who need assistance.