3 Indonesian Citizens Injured When the Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Rocked Southern Turkey, Now Being Treated in Hospital

Illustration of earthquake impact. (Unsplash-Mick Haupt)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Ankara said that 3 Indonesian citizens were injured as a result of an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 that rocked southern Turkey on Monday local time.

Three victims were injured after the Indonesian Embassy coordinated with local authorities in the area and communicated with members of the Indonesian Citizen Protection Task Force and the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) around the location.

One victim was injured in Kahramanmaras and two in Hatay. Currently, they have been taken to the nearest hospital.

"So far, no Indonesian citizens have died", said the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara in a statement quoted by Antara, Monday, February 6.

The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara said that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 occurred in the provinces of Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep and Osmaniye, in southern Turkey, on Monday at 04.17 local time. The epicentre of the earthquake was in Kahramanmaras Province, about 600 kilometres (km) southeast of Ankara.

The quake was followed by two follow-up quakes with magnitudes 6.4 and 6.5 in Gaziantep Province, which is 700 km southeast of Turkey.

The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara said that currently 51 fatalities have been reported, hundreds of people were injured, and several buildings collapsed and were heavily damaged, as a result of the three earthquakes.

Furthermore, several Indonesian citizens in Kahramanmaras had to leave their apartments due to severe damage. The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara is working on temporary shelters for Indonesian citizens to evacuate while waiting for handling from the local authorities.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had communicated with the Governor of Kahramanmaras to convey a message of condolence to the affected people and to convey that the government had dispatched search and rescue teams from all over Turkey.

Then, the Minister of Interior of Turkey Suleyman Soylu, said the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara, said that the current priority was rescuing victims trapped in the rubble and emergency assistance for affected communities.

Given the extensive damage caused by the earthquake, the death toll is expected to continue to rise.

For this reason, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara will continue to coordinate with local authorities, the Indonesian Citizen Protection Task Force and the Indonesian people in affected areas.

The Indonesian Embassy in Ankara stated that there were around 6,500 Indonesian citizens who were recorded as living throughout Turkey. Of these, around 500 people were living in the earthquake area and its surroundings.

Most Indonesian citizens are students and some are Indonesian citizens who are married to residents and workers in international organizations.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara also provided a hotline number [phone] for Indonesian citizens in Turkey who wished to obtain further information.