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Thousands killed as quakes hit Turkiye and Syria

Feb 07, 2023

The World Health Organisation is warning of a heavy death toll following two massive earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria.

The combined number of fatalities in the two countries currently stands at over 3,500…although the WHO says the figure could potentially increase eight-fold.

Efforts to find survivors from among the hundreds of destroyed buildings have also been hampered by snowy conditions and freezing temperatures.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has sent a 70-member team…including personnel from the highly-trained SMART Team…to assist with the search and rescue work in Turkiye.

This, as Wisma Putra says it has not received any reports of Malaysian casualties.

It says a group of 12 of our nationals near the Turkish quake site have been contacted, and are safe.

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The Health Ministry will continue seeking feedback and identifying solutions to the congestion at public hospital emergency departments.

Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa says many of the factors behind the congestion were inherited and systemic…although some of these issues can be tackled at a local level with sufficient engagement. 

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The government has agreed to a redevelopment plan to transform the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, into a premium city airport and regional aviation hub.

However, the Transport Minister says this is not aimed at replacing KLIA as Malaysia’s main international gateway.

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The number of flood evacuees in Pahang has risen to over five thousand this morning…with a further 163 victims in Johor…while Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu respectively have reported evacuees in the double digits.