IDNAround – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo expressed condolences on Monday over the deadly earthquake in Turkiye that killed at least 3,700 people in the country and neighboring Syria.
According to the US Geological Survey, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9 kilometers in Gaziantep. It was followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor at around 13:30 local time (10:30 GMT).
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims. Indonesia stands in solidarity with the people of Turkiye and Syria,” Jokowi tweeted.
The Indonesian embassy in Ankara said at least three Indonesian nationals were injured in the disaster. There are currently 6,500 Indonesians living in Turkiye, 500 of which were residing in the earthquake-affected areas, the embassy said.
BBC reported that the first quake killed more than 2,300 people in Turkey and more than 1,400 people in Syria.
Turkiye authorities said nearly 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble and 338,000 others have been housed in dormitories, universities, and shelters.
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the quake was the “biggest disaster” since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake. He declared a seven-day national mourning period.
“I hope we will leave these disastrous days behind in unity and solidarity as a country and nation,” Erdogan was quoted by Anadolu News Agency as saying.
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