Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed there have been no reports of injuries or distress for Maldivians following the disastrous earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria on February 6.
A large number of Maldivians reside in Türkiye for higher education. Maldivians also travel to the country for vacation and medical treatment. The foreign ministry said no injuries or distress have been reported to the ministry so far. The ministry assures the Honorary Consul in Türkiye and the Permanent Mission of Maldives in Geneva are closely monitoring the situation of Maldivians in Turkey.
Turkish authorities have confirmed the deaths of at least 3,381 people after its southeastern region bordering Syria was rocked by major earthquakes. A further 1,444 people are confirmed to have died in Syria. The initial magnitude 7.8 tremor early on February 6 brought down buildings as people slept and was followed by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hours later amid several aftershocks.
Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has said that more than 5,700 buildings had been destroyed by the earthquakes.