Phil kicks off relief mission in Turkey

MANILA — The Philippine Embassy in Ankara has already kicked off its relief operations in the earthquake-hit southeastern parts of Türkiye with the assistance of local authorities.

There are 248 Filipino nationals based in quakehit provinces. Two Filipinos who were injured have since recovered, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

“We are thankful that a number of our kababayan are safe and we will not give up hope for those that cannot yet be conducted,” the foreign service post said in a statement on Thursday. “The Embassy will act swiftly and decisively for all confirmed reports.”

Its team has distributed relief goods that include food, blankets, water, and cash. The DFA said on Wednesday that the country will tap into its Assistance to Nationals Fund in order to finance the assistance program.

Toll reaches 15,000

Freezing temperatures deepened the misery Thursday for survivors of a massive earthquake in Türkiye and Syria that killed at least 15,000 people, as rescuers raced to save countless people still trapped under rubble.

The death toll from Monday’s 7.8-magnitude quake is expected to rise sharply as rescue efforts near the 72-hour mark that disaster experts consider the most likely period to save lives.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded “shortcomings” after criticism of his government’s response to the massive earthquake, which is one of the deadliest this century.

Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter — and in some cases watch helplessly as their relatives called for rescue, and eventually went silent under the debris.

The Philippines sent a humanitarian response team on Wednesday to Türkiye to aid in search and rescue operations. — Kaycee Valmonte - with reports from Cristina Chi/Philstar.com and Agence France-Presse