Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum made a statement in Gaziantep after the 7,7 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş and affected many cities.
Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, stated that the loss of life in Gaziantep increased to 468 and the number of injured to 3 due to the earthquake, and said that 570 buildings were destroyed. Minister Kurum stated that the damages on the Adana-Gaziantep Highway were followed up with intense work and said, “Our citizens can use the intercity road in a controlled manner from the highway. We will only use the D-581 road for aid vehicles and aid services.” said.
Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, Deputy Minister of Interior İsmail Çataklı, Deputy Gendarmerie General Commander General Ali Çardakçı, Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül and Metropolitan Mayor Fatma Şahin attended the meeting at the Earthquake Coordination Center established in Gaziantep AFAD. received information about post-processing.
In a statement made after the meeting, the institution noted that two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7,7 in Pazarcık and later 7,6 in Elbistan caused earthquake damage in many provinces in the region.
Stating that as a country they have faced the biggest earthquake in the last century after the Erzincan earthquake, the Institution said that the two earthquakes that directly affected 10 million people in 13,5 provinces were the biggest disasters in the last century in terms of their effects.
The Minister Institution stated that 10 governors and 30 district governors were appointed in 47 provinces and gave the following information about the works in Gaziantep:
“When we look at Gaziantep specifically, we have 581 destroyed buildings as of now, and our loss of life in the earthquake reached 468, we have 3 injured citizens. We rescued them from the rubble and our hospitals in Gaziantep center and nearby provinces are under treatment in our field tents. Be sure from the first moment, our hundreds of ambulances, health personnel, and UMKE personnel are actively working to provide all kinds of treatment opportunities to our citizens, both in field tents and in our hospitals. Of course, fire fell on our hearths, it seared our hearts and this pain is indescribable. Hopefully, we have entered this process in the first 570 hours and now in the second 24 hours. 24 hours is very precious to us. You know our citizens from under the rubble, we reached our citizens even at the 72th hour in previous earthquakes. In this sense, our search and rescue teams, our UMKE teams, and our AFAD are running to the aid of our citizens in all the debris areas and we are struggling to get them out of the rubble all together.”
“Adana-Gaziantep Highway opens to traffic”
Minister Kurum continued as follows:
“That place was also closed to transportation due to rockfalls. First, we paved the way. Then, we have followed up the delivery of emergency aid to the region, aid to Islahiye and Nurdağı, and the evacuation processes of our citizens from this region. I hope that this road will be opened to transportation, which as of yesterday, we are actively following it with the process of leaving only the aid vehicles. And here again, our call is from here, as far as possible, to our citizens on the D-400 highway, on the Osmaniye Gaziantep road, as long as it is not possible, to avoid traffic here, and if necessary, to give priority to our aid teams, ambulances, AFAD, and our teams carrying construction equipment."
Minister Kurum stated that the damages on the Adana-Gaziantep Highway are being followed up with intense work and will be opened in approximately 30-45 minutes, and said, “With the opening of this road, we will actually accelerate the aid process to both Maraş, Kilis and Şanlıurfa regions in the entire region. It is very important at this point. After 45 minutes, we will start giving the intercity road from the highway. Let's find our call here again; Our citizens can use the intercity road in a controlled way from the highway. We will use the D-400 on the road only and only for aid vehicles and assistance services. And in this way, we will accelerate all disaster works in this region.” he said.
Stating that water could not be supplied to the center and districts due to power cuts and damages in water intake structures in some regions in Gaziantep, the Authority said, “Thanks to the intensive work of our Metropolitan Municipality, partial water supply will begin in Gaziantep, İslahiye and Nurdağı districts as of today.” used the phrases.
Murat Kurum stated that İslahiye State Hospital continues to serve, and citizens with serious conditions are referred to hospitals in the region.
“Communication and internet problems will be fixed within 2 hours”
Noting that in addition to the hospitals, 3 field tents were set up in İslahiye and 2 in Nurdağı, the Institution said yesterday that there were problems with communication in these two districts due to problems in power lines and base stations, that they provided partial meeting opportunity after the dispatch of mobile base stations, and that they provided assistance teams with satellite phones and radios. He said they coordinated.
Saying, “Hopefully, within 2 hours, we will be able to provide the communication problem here and internet access that will facilitate the communication of our teams in this sense,” the Institution pointed out that the installation of mobile base stations is continuing rapidly.
Minister Kurum stated that approximately 13 blankets, 500 beds and 5 thousand tents were delivered to the region, tents were set up in the center, Islahiye and Nurdağı, and that the temporary shelter needs of the citizens were met in the social facilities, sports halls and neighborhood mansions in the center, and 692 thousand tents were built in the region. reported it was sent.
Stating that the shipment of a thousand containers to Nurdağı and Islahiye has started and that they will be placed in the designated temporary shelter areas, the Institution said that all institutions of the state continue their work.
Damage assessment studies
Minister Kurum stated that they started damage assessment studies in 10 provinces yesterday and said:
“Our teams are actually carrying out damage assessment studies of our buildings in other 10 provinces, especially in Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, where earthquakes were experienced intensely. Here, too, in coordination with our gendarmerie and our Ministry of National Defense, as of today, with unmanned aerial vehicles, the weather conditions were not favorable as of yesterday, we will make our air flights as of today, and I hope we already know a general photo of the wreckage in the evening, but we are carrying out the process in order to remove the damage in all cities. ”
Damaged building warning
Reminding that more than 200 aftershocks were experienced after the main earthquake, the Institution continued as follows:
“Our citizens should definitely stay away from damaged houses. At this point, we are already carrying out studies that will meet the need for shelter and nutrition of our citizens in temporary accommodation areas. That's why we strongly urge that our citizens never, ever enter the damaged buildings. It is important that our citizens avoid traffic as much as possible. Because, in order to be able to provide search and rescue activities quickly, we kindly request that unnecessary traffic load be avoided in order to deliver services to our citizens much faster.”
Be the first to comment