No Vietnamese casualties reported in Turkey quake thus far: ambassador

Hatay (VNA) – It has been two weeks since the devastating earthquake on February 6, and there have yet to be reports of Vietnamese casualties in Turkey, Vietnamese Ambassador to Turkey Do Son Hai said on February 22.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, he said the embassy has coordinated closely and effectively with local authorities, representatives of the Vietnamese community, and rescue teams to stay updated with the situation of Vietnamese citizens affected by the earthquake.

Shortly after the earthquake, the embassy convened emergency meetings to make citizen protection plans. It quickly liaised with many sources of information, from local administrations to the Vietnamese community in Turkey, to learn about the number of Vietnamese in the 10 quake-hit provinces.

The embassy hasn’t recorded any Vietnamese deaths in the earthquake so far, Hai noted.

All the seven families of Vietnamese women in the affected localities are safe, but their houses were damaged. They are residing in makeshift tents and now find themselves in great hardship.

Therefore, the embassy has provided financial aid and essential goods for the families, he said, adding that it is also working with the Vietnamese community in the Middle Eastern country to assist the expatriates in reconstruction efforts so that they can soon return to the normal life.

Regarding the search and rescue operations by the teams from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam, the ambassador said the tasks in Turkey were difficult as this was the first time Vietnam had sent rescue teams to such a faraway place and with limited information.

The teams worked at their full capacity and coordinated closely with local and international rescue forces, along with local administrations and residents. The embassy kept a close watch on the situation, maintained contact with local authorities, and mobilised resources from Vietnamese people in those areas to provide timely support for the teams, Hai went on.

The teams received high evaluation from Turkish authorities and people as well as from international rescue forces. Their successful fulfillment of duties and safe return to the homeland was a great success in this extremely difficult campaign, according to the diplomat.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 has claimed more than 47,000 lives in Turkey and neighbouring Syria so far, statistics show./.