British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK “stands ready to provide assistance” to Turkey and Syria following a massive earthquake that killed over a thousand people in both countries. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred early yesterday, February 6.
The desperate search for survivors of the multiple earthquakes that shook Turkey and Syria over the past 48 hours continued on Tuesday, with the discovery of more bodies bringing the death toll to 5,000.
There are fears that the death toll will continue to rise inexorably, with some relief agency officials estimating that up to 20,000 people may have died, according to AFP.
“Tragic loss of life in the Türkiye and Syria earthquake,” wrote Mr Cleverly on Twitter.
“Our condolences go to the families of those who died and our thoughts are with the survivors.
“The UK stands ready to provide assistance.”
On Monday night, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning as the extent of the damage and death toll became clear.
The initial earthquake was so powerful that it was felt as far away as Greenland, and its impact was significant enough to elicit a global response.