BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 7. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu thanked Azerbaijan for its help following the powerful earthquake that hit the country, Trend reports.
"Azerbaijan always stands by Türkiye at the most difficult moments," he said during the briefing.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, 2023. The earthquake occurred at a depth of seven kilometers in the Pazarcik region of Kahramanmaras Province. The provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana and Kahramanmaras were subjected to the severe destruction.
Following the latest data, 3,703 people have died, 22,286 have got injured in the quake, and 5,775 buildings have been destroyed, so far. More than 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble.
Following Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's order, the rapid reaction forces of the country involving 420 people were sent to Türkiye on Feb. 6 to support the search and rescue efforts carried out in the earthquake area. The team provided with the proper equipment, as well as with search and rescue dogs, have already commenced searching operations.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has sent well-equipped mobile field hospitals, as well as a group of 41 specialists to Türkiye in order to eliminate the quake implications. The relief supplies containing tents, blankets, heaters, as well as three containers for a mobile field hospital were also sent by the other aircraft.