No Pakistani killed or injured in deadly Turkiye-Syria earthquakes, confirms FO

ISLAMABAD – Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahara Baloch confirmed on Thursday that all Pakistani living in Turkiye and Syria remained safe during Monday’s deadly earthquake.

In a weekly media briefing, Baloch said: “We are in contact with the officials and there are no reports of any casualties of Pakistani nationals so far”.

She said about 23 Pakistanis, who were present in earthquake-hit Gaziantep, have been transported and accommodated in Adana. The spokesperson said sixteen of them will be flown back to Pakistan while the rest will be transported to Istanbul.

On Monday, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and dozens of aftershocks struck Turkiye and Syria where death toll has risen above 15,000 while rescuers raced to save survivors stranded under rubble amid fading hopes of many people being found alive.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday established a relief fund to help the victims of a devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria.

Office of the Controller General of Accounts has issued for the establishment of Prime Minister's Relief Fund for Turkiye Earthquake Victims, G-12166.

The decision to establish the fund was taken at a meeting of federal cabinet when the premier also appealed the people to generously donate for the earthquake victims in Turkiye.

Pakistan establishes relief fund for earthquake-hit Turkiye