PRESS BULLETIN
(06.02.2023)

REGARDIN THE EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED IN KAHRAMANMARAŞ-PAZARCIK. -8

(As of 9:15 P.M.)

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake occurred on 06.02.2023 at 04:17 A.M. in Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş. 183 other earthquakes, the largest being 7.6 magnitude and Elbistan centered, occured.

According to initially available information from SAKOM, 1,651 people have lost their lives and 11,119 individuals have been injured in Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis and Malatya provinces.

The total number of search and rescue personnel assigned in the region is 9,698, the number of personnel from AFAD Volunteers and Support Teams is 9876, the number of vehicles is 216, and the counts of equipment is 1,511.

A total of 5,606 buildings have reportedly been destroyed.

30 governors and 47 district governor have been assigned in the affected regions.

Turkish General Staff sent 6 A400M’s, 5 C130’s, 7 C235’s and set up an aerobridge with the purpose of sending equipment and personnel from İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.  These planes made a total of 80 sorties in the areas affected by the disaster.

2 helicopters and 3 Gendarmerie Manned Scout Planes sent by the General Commandership of Gendarmerie are actively working in the area. 2 helicopters of the Coast Guard Command are also active in the field.

A total of 350.000.000 TL was sent to 9 provinces in the disaster area, 250.000.000 TL from the Ministry of Family and Social Services and 100,0000.000 TL from Disaster Emerrgency Management Presidency (AFAD) as emergency fund.

Within coordination of Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a total of 73 teams from 60 countries sent aid.

Disaster Energy Group

•             According to the first news received from the Disaster Energy Group natural gas cannot be received at the Hatay/Hassa and Kırıkhan regions.

•             BOTAŞ has cut off the petroleum as a security measurement.

•             Natural gas flow to Gaziantep’s Nurdağı and Islahiye district has cut off as a precaution.

•             27 centers cannot be provided with electricity.

•             Osmaniye Bahçe-Düziçi, Kahramanmaraş city center, Malatya; Akçadağ, Doğanşehir, Doğanyol regions are without power.

Disaster Correspondence Group

•             Power outages took place in mobile communications in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, and Adıyaman cities.

•             Mobile base stations and generators and related personnel are deployed to the earthquake zones.

•             For the citizens that may be in need to urgent help and communication, an initiaive has undertaken to unblock the blocked SIM cards due to unpaid bills or debts with the GSM providing companies.

•             80 vsat satellite terminals have deployed to the disaster zones

Disaster Agriculture, Forest, Food and Livestock Group

•             The teams established within the scope of the Türkiye Disaster Response Plan within Provincial Directorates have been directed to the zones effected by the earthquakes. 

•             Construction equipment and operators that belong to the Directorate General of State Hydraulic Works and Directorate General of Forestry have been directed to zones effected by the earthquakes.

•             Ankara and Konya provincial directorates staff have been deployed to the zones effected by the earthquakes.

Disaster Search and Rescue Group

9698 Search and Rescue Personnel and 216 vehicles are sent to the area. 3838 volunteers, 2419 local support team members, 2867 ranger local support team members and another 1285 ranger local support team members who were available in the area are assigned. Coast Guard Command assigned 166 personnel from Hatay, 88 from İskenderun and 48 from Mersin. The TSCG Yasam Ship is ready for operation in the İskenderun Port, and 2 helicopters are operational in Antalya Airport.

Search and rescue personnel have been transferred with 4 helicopters from Gaziantep to Hatay.

Gendarmerie Search and Rescue Group (JAK) mobile operations center with a capacity of 130 personnel, mobile command center (2), a mobile kitchen (1), and a mobile oven sent to Kahramanmaraş by Gendarmerie Special Search and Rescue (JÖAK).

30 Unimog trucks, 2 Lifting Space Command Control vehicles, 7 passenger vehicles, 2 mobile kitchens, are on the way to Kahramanmaraş, sent by Gendarmerie Logistics Command. All commando units, JAK and Traffic Teams from the western province has been assigned to Kahramanmaraş. 500 commandos and 600 soldiers were sent to Malatya. 200 soldiers were sent to Adana from Gendarmerie General Command. 200 soldiers were sent from Kayseri to Malatya, Akçadağ. 186 military engineers were assigned to Gaziantep-Hatay region by Aegean Army Command.

Disaster Sheltering Group

300,000 blankets, 21,996 Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency Family Tents, 26,659 beds, 47,176 sets of pillows and sheets, 1,605 sets of kitchen appliances, 2,761 heaters and 4,452 tube caps are sent to the affected areas.

Disaster Nourishment Group

Turkish Red Crescent sent 82 catering vehicles, 8 mobile kitchens, 6 mobile foodbanks, 7 field kitchens, 1 mobile oven, 156 vehicles and 975 personnel to the area. Gendarmerie sent 2 mobile kitchens and 1 mobile oven; Humanitarian Relief Foundaiton and the foundations of Hayrat, Beşir and İnsiyatif sent 1 mobile kitchen each. 14,000 counts of soup, 1,000 counts of water and 300 boxes of food in Şanlıurfa, 2,000 treats and 3,000 counts of soup in Malatya, 50,000 victuals in Adana, 20,000 counts of soup, 1,650 boxes of food and 930 treats in Kilis, 2,500 sets of hot meals, 4,000 counts of soup, 4,000 plates of pilaf with meat, 4,000 counts of doner sandwiches and 1,068 boxes of food in Gaziantep, 5,000 counts of soup, 11,000 bottles of water, 2,000 loaves of bread, 1,000 meatloaves and 500 bags of macaroni in Hatay were given to the public.

Disaster Psychosocial Support Group

4 mobilized Social Service Centers are charged in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, and Malatya provinces. 755 officers and 50 vehicles are sent to the region.

Disaster Transportation Infrastructure Group

Air

Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Adıyaman Airports are open to air traffic.

Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa Airport are open for relief flight traffic.

Kahramanmaraş and Hatay Airports are closed to air traffic due to the damage.

Railroads

Ulukışla-Adana, Adana-Mersin, Adana-Toprakkale, Yolçatı-Diyarbakır, Yolçatı-Elazığ, Elazığ-Tatvan Railroads are open to traffic.

Malatya-Çetinkata, Malatya-Yolçatı Railroads are open to traffic for only emergency use.

Fevzipaşa-Narlı, Narlı-Gaziantep, Narlı-Malatya Railroads are closed to traffic.

Highways

Adıyaman-Çelikhan Route is closed to traffic.

Şanlıurfa-Gaziantep Route is open to traffic.

Osmaniye-Gaziantep Route is completely closed to traffic.

Hatay-Reyhanlı Route is completely close to transportation.

Hatay Kırıkhan-Topboğaz Route is closed to transportation.

Hatay Kırıkhan-Belen Route is closed to transportation due to a collapse.

Adıyaman Gölbaşı-Malatya Route is closed to transportation due to landslide and concrete spillage in the tunnel.

Disaster Communication Group

Coordination between government officials is ensured and information flow is provided to the public. Official statements and social media shares are coordinated to empower the consistency between the messages given to the public.
Necessary warnings to follow the official statements are issued by the authorities in order to fight disinformation. CIMER (Communications Center of the Presidency) Emergency Earthquake Center  is activated and the applications are shared with the respective institutions. A press center is also established in Gaziantep AFAD Center.

National and international media are kept updated with the latest information. 

We are keeping track of the latest updates.

Respectfully announced.