No South Korean casualties have so far been reported in Turkey where a massive earthquake struck its southeastern region killing at least 100 people, the Foreign Ministry here said Monday.
A 7.2-magnitude quake hit the Turkish province of Van on Sunday, killing some 140 people and injuring another 350, according to overseas news reports that quoted Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The death toll could reach 1,000, reports say.
Two South Korean nationals, who reside in Van Province, have been confirmed safe, Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Byung-jae said, adding no casualties of Koreans had been reported as of Monday morning.
The South Korean Embassy in Ankara is continuing to check for any casualties among South Korean tourists, according to the ministry.
The South Korean government plans to send a relief team to the destroyed area, according to Cho.
The five-member team of officials from the Foreign Ministry, Korea International Cooperation Agency and national rescue service plans to head to Istanbul on 11 p.m. Monday and travel to the southeastern region by land.
The government also plans to decide on the relief aid items to send to Turkey at a meeting of government, Red Cross and nongovernmental organization officials Monday.
By Shin Hae-in (
hayney@heraldcorp.com)
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