Prayer vigil held in Uganda for victims of earthquakes in Türkiye

By Hamza Kyeyune

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - The Turkish community in Uganda and well-wishers on Sunday held a special prayer vigil for victims of twin earthquakes that hit southern Türkiye earlier this month.

“We believe that prayers have the power to make a difference. We have witnessed miracles in Türkiye as people are rescued nearly 300 hours after the earthquake. Allah will grant us more miracles,” said Sheikh Kirumira Mahmud, the imam of Abubaker Mosque in the capital Kampala.

The mourners gathered at the Turkish embassy compound to share grief and say prayers for the victims of the Feb. 6 earthquakes that have claimed at least 40,689 lives in 11 southern Turkish provinces.

Moments of silence were also observed in honor of the victims.

“We are forever with them (victims) in prayers because they have done a lot for us,” Sheikh Yasir Ntumwa, the assistant imam of the Abubaker Mosque, told Anadolu.

He offered condolences to Türkiye over the loss of lives in the earthquakes.

Mehmet Fatih Ak, the Turkish ambassador to Uganda, expressed gratitude to the people and government of Uganda for standing by Türkiye in this trying time.

At least 40,689 people have been killed in two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest figures.

The 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours.