Emiratis evacuated from Turkey, toll crosses 16,000

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

As part of the “Gallant Knight / 2” operation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC), in coordination with the Ministry of Defence, carried out a medical evacuation of three Emiratis and brought them back to the country after they sustained moderate injuries due to the earthquake that occurred on Monday in southern Turkey.

The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed to more than 16,000 on Thursday, as rescuers raced to reach survivors stuck under rubble in freezing weather.

Officials and medics said 12,873 people had died in Turkey and 3,162 in Syria from Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 16,035.

Earlier, the Ministry issued a statement, calling on the citizens in the countries affected by the earthquake to take precautions and stay away from the areas affected by the earthquake. The Ministry also emphasised the need to report any emergency case they may face by contacting via +97180024, urging them to register in the “Tawajudi” service to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, as part of the “Gallant Knight / 2” operation, the Emirati search and rescue teams succeeded in rescuing a Syrian family of a mother, son and two daughters from under the rubble of their house, which collapsed due to the recent earthquake in Turkey.

Accompanying the rescuing teams in this operation WAM reported that the search and rescue teams rescued the family from under the rubbles in a 5-hour-operation in Kahramanmaraş area.

The medical teams immediately provided the necessary care for the family members with high efficiency, before they were transferred to specialized hospitals in Turkey to receive a full medical care.

Relatives and friends of the family who were present at the site thanked and appreciated efforts of the Emirati search and rescue teams, who showed high professionalism during the process of extracting family members from under the rubble.

They also praised the support of the Turkish authorities for relief efforts.