Ambassador urges public to convey info about Sri Lankans in Turkey

The ambassador of Sri Lanka to Turkey has appealed to the members of the public to convey any information about Sri Lankans living in Turkey as the death toll from the powerful earthquakes and aftershocks that rocked a swathe of Turkey and northwest of Syria on Monday (Feb 06) soared past 3,700.

Joining ‘Ada Derana Mornings’ show today (Feb 07), the Sri Lankan envoy, Hasanthi Dissanayake said information can be submitted to the Consular Division of the Foreign Affairs Ministry or the Sri Lankan Embassy in Ankara.

Speaking on the current developments of the situation in Turkey, the ambassador said as per reports, approximately 270 Sri Lankans are living in Turkey, out of which 14 were found to be living in the areas severely affected by the earthquakes.

One Sri Lankan female remains missing although the other 13 were traced and confirmed to be safe, Dissanayake added.

The ambassador, stating that they are still unaware of her location, added that necessary measures are being taken to locate this woman, who had been living a building that had collapsed in the quake. However, she had not been there when the incident occurred.

According to the Sri Lankan embassy, the woman had been in touch with her daughter and a friend. She has been in a building that has collapsed, but later it was thought that all in the building has come out; then there was information that her mobile phone was discovered.  The embassy said it has reached out to ASAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Agency under the Turkish Presidency) to assist in this regard.

The embassy also noted that all five Sri Lankans in Kayseri Province, where a tremor of magnitude of 3 occurred, followed by a second tremor of a magnitude of 3.2.

A massive earthquake of a magnitude of 7.8 struck southern Turkey and northwest of Syria in the early hours of Monday while freezing cold weather added to the plights of the victims. It was followed by a multitude of aftershocks and a second powerful quake of a magnitude of 7.5, killing more than 3,700 and injuring thousands of others.