Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to families of the victims in the Republic of Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic following the devastating earthquake that hit southern Turkey.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Foreign Ministry, Oman voiced its solidarity with Turkey and Syria, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
More than 1,500 people have been confirmed dead in Turkey and hundreds were killed in Syria after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region on Monday morning.
The death toll continued to rise rapidly following the strong earthquake which rocked southern Turkey and northern Syria.
There are no Omani citizens among those dead or injured in the devastating Turkey earthquake, however, an Omani woman who could not be contacted, has been reported safe now, said an official at the Omani embassy in the Republic of Turkey.
Counsellor Ibrahim bin Suleiman Al-Hasani, Chargé d’Affaires of the Omani Embassy in the Republic of Turkey, confirmed to Times of Oman that there are no cases of Omani citizens among the dead or injured as a result of the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and parts of Syria and Cyprus on Monday morning.
Al-Hasani also confirmed that a number of Omanis in Turkey, whose phones are still open, have been contacted, and they confirmed that they felt slight tremor in Trabzon and Ankara.
Al-Hasani said that an Omani woman having six children, married to a Turkish citizen, and living in the Iskenderun region, has been reported safe.
Ibrahim Al-Hasani also said: “We urge everyone to contact the Omani Embassy in the Turkish Republic for any assistance or inquiries, on the embassy’s numbers.”
The embassy called on Omani citizens present in the areas affected by the earthquake to contact the following numbers: +90 (539) 934 63 64, +90 (539) 934 63 66, +90 (312) 4910940, +90 (312) 4910941 and +90 (312) 4910944
Speaking at a briefing, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that according to updated figures, 1,500 people had been confirmed dead while over 5,300 people injured. Erdogan said that the priority at this stage was the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Tayyip Erdogan described the 7.8 magnitude quakes as the country’s “biggest disaster” since 1939.
Meanwhile, Syrian state news agency SANA reported that 810 people had been killed and over 1,000 injured, citing the Ministry of Health. The US Geological Survey said a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Gaziantep, a key industrial hub near the border with Syria. Tremors could also be felt as far as Lebanon, Cyprus, and Egypt.
