Egyptian woman’s body found under rubble in Turkey quake: Foreign Ministry

CAIRO – 18 February 2023: The body of an Egyptian woman was found under the rubble in İskenderun district of Turkey’s southern province of Hatay due to the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria early in February, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

This raises the number of Egyptians who have been found dead due to the quake to three as the ministry had also revealed a day after the incident that the bodies of two Egyptians were found under the rubble in the same district.

The Egyptian Embassy in Ankara is following up with the Turkish authorities to finalize the procedures related to obtaining a death certificate for the deceased citizen and burying her, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The body of the Egyptian woman was moved to one of the province’s hospitals, the statement added.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regrets this painful news and extends its sincere condolences and sympathy to the victim's family,” the statement read.

This comes as the ministry is continuing its efforts to follow up on the situation of the Egyptian citizens affected in the quake-stricken areas, the statement affirmed.

“[The ministry] affirms the continuation of efforts to pursue search and rescue operations,” the statement added.

In a statement a day after the quake, the ministry revealed that a number of citizens were injured in Turkey but said no Egyptians were reported among the quake victims in Syria.

Shortly after the quake, five military planes loaded with large quantities of medicine and medical supplies arrived in Turkey and Syria.

The planes sent urgent aid provided by the Ministry of Health to the peoples of the two countries to help them alleviate the effects of the quake, the Egyptian Army spokesman said.

The Long Live Egypt Fund, which belongs to the Egyptian Presidency, also announced in mid-February a bank account no. 037037 to receive contributions from inside and outside Egypt to support those affected by the quake in Syria.

Death toll due to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on 6 February has exceeded 46,000, making it the deadliest seismic event over the past decade.

Egypt’s Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has extended condolences to each of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar El-Asad, affirming Egypt’s readiness to provide support to the peoples of both countries.