Romanian philanthropist helping set up container city for quake victims: Turkish envoy

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A Romanian philanthropist will help establish a container city for earthquake victims in southern Türkiye, an official said on Wednesday.

This is part of the expansive efforts made in Romania for Turkish people affected by this tragedy, said Ozgur Kivanc Altan, Ankara’s ambassador to Bucharest.

Romania immediately sent a team of more than 110 people and four search and rescue dogs to Türkiye, he told reporters at an aid collection center in Bucharest.

Altan said Romanian rescuers helped save many people trapped under collapsed buildings.

“Some 2,000 tents and 8,000 beds from RescEU were delivered to Türkiye on trains provided by Romania, as were approximately 5,000 tents and 15,000 sleepers given by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees,” the Turkish envoy said.

“In addition, 660 winter kits and over 26,600 folding beds were delivered to Türkiye via two large planes and several trucks,” he added.

A massive aid campaign is being carried out in Romania with the support of the Turkish-Romanian community and NGOs, especially the Turkish Businessmen Association (TIAD), said Altan.

Countless more tents, blankets, sleeping bags, beds, generators, heaters, and flashlights, along with tons of food and personal hygiene items have also been sent to Türkiye, he said.

Both Romanian and Turkish communities have “worked day and night on this great logistical operation,” Altan added.

On Feb. 6, two powerful earthquakes struck southern Türkiye, centered in Kahramanmaras and shaking nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

The death toll has now climbed over 35,400, with thousands more injured.

Felt in several countries, the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 tremors also caused massive destruction in northern Syria, where more than 3,600 lives have been lost.