Many earthquake victims who had to spend the night out following the magnitude-6.6 quake that struck Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city, express gratitude for solidarity and aids from locals as well as NGOs and institutions.
Tents were set up by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for citizens who are not able to enter their homes.
CONSTRUCTION WORK WILL START IMMEDIATELY AFTER ALL DEBRIS IS REMOVED
Turkish Red Crescent, AFAD, municipalities and other non-governmental organizations distribute blankets to citizens, day and night, serving tea, coffee, soup and food. “There is no shortage of food and drinks here, we have everything we need. There are some famous people, and others coming to help us. There is much help,” says one of the victims, Irfan Adanir.
The 65-year-old victim spent the second night in a tent with his family as they feel “afraid to enter their houses” due to cracks created by earthquake.
Mehmet Aktas, 34 also spent the night at the park with his wife and two children because the multi-storey building next to his house was in danger of collapse. “We were inside the storage at the moment of the earthquake. When we felt it and ran out within 3 or 5 seconds, the building, Rıza Bey Apartment, collapsed. All that happened in such a short time,” Aktas says.
Pointing to the solidarity shown amid the tragedy, he says: “The people who set up tents yesterday are not part of any official institution, they have a WhatsApp group and gathered to come here from Mersin province for help. Many thanks to all of them.”
Earlier, the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said new houses will be built for those whose homes have been destroyed “as soon as possible.” Erdoğan also said that a grant-in-aid of 24 million Turkish liras (over $2.87-million) has been sent so far to the quake-hit area and more will be provided based on need.
He stressed thatadding that after all debris is removed, construction work will start to build houses for those whose homes collapsed.