The Indonesian Embassy In Ankara Is Still Looking For Indonesian Citizens Who Are Missing In Turkey, Including Mothers With 2 Children.

Photo via Antara

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Ankara is still looking for a number of Indonesian citizens who lost contact in Turkey after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake (M) that rocked the Turkish and Syrian territories on Monday, February 6 yesterday.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara has identified 10 Indonesian citizens who were injured. Four of them have received treatment at a local hospital, while the other six have to be evacuated to Ankara.

"Besides that, there is a mother with two children who we have not succeeded in contacting until now," Iqbal said in a virtual press conference in Jakarta, Tuesday, February 7, as reported by Antara.

In addition, the Indonesian Embassy is also still trying to find two therapist spa workers in Dyarbakir, who until now have not responded when contacted.

The Indonesian Embassy, he said, continues to coordinate with local authorities to be supported by searches through the nodes of the Indonesian people and the local Indonesian citizen protection task force to find their whereabouts.

Iqbal added that his party and the Indonesian Embassy team were on their way to Gaziantep to provide humanitarian assistance as well as evacuate 104 Indonesian citizens who were in five areas affected by the earthquake and were then taken to Ankara.

A total of 104 Indonesian citizens consist of 40 from Gaziantep, 40 from Kahramanmaras, 14 from Dyarbakir, 9 from Hatay, and 1 Indonesian from Adana.

The Indonesian citizens were evacuated because their residences and dormitories had been destroyed, while the shelter provided by the local authorities had exceeded capacity.

Iqbal said that the evacuation process for Indonesian citizens in Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, and Hatay to Ankara could possibly be carried out on Tuesday night.

"We have prepared a place at Wisma Duta in Ankara, at my residence. There, a place that can accommodate 110 people to survive for a long period of time," he said.

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday (6/2) rocked central and southeastern Turkey, as well as the northern part of Syria bordering Turkey.

According to Turkey's disaster and emergency management agency (AFAD), more than 200 aftershocks have rocked the country's southern regions.

Hurriyet daily page revealed a total of 5,775 buildings collapsed in 10 provinces in Turkey and this figure does not include collapsed buildings in Syria.

The worst disaster area with the highest number of casualties lies in Pazarcgank, Elbistan and T\"okoglu, Kahramanmaras Province.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said Tuesday that the death toll from the earthquake has now increased to 3,419 people.

The total death toll, including the victims in Syria, is now recorded at more than 5,000 people.