LONDON: King Charles has said he is “profoundly saddened” by Monday’s deadly earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria, offering “thoughts and special prayers” to those affected, MailOnline reported.
In the message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the British monarch said: “My wife and I have been most shocked and profoundly saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes in southeast Turkiye.
“I can only begin to imagine the scale of suffering and loss as a result of these dreadful tragedies, and I particularly wanted to convey our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the families of all those who have lost their loved ones.”
“Our thoughts and special prayers are with everyone who has been affected by this appalling natural disaster, whether through injury or the destruction of their property, and also with the emergency services and those assisting in the rescue efforts.”
The king’s message came as the World Health Organization warned that the death toll from the quakes could exceed 20,000.
In response to the disaster, the UK sent a team of 77 search-and-rescue experts to Turkiye along with equipment and highly trained dogs to aid in recovery efforts.
A British aircraft carrying the response team arrived in Gaziantep in southeast Turkiye late on Tuesday.
The team includes specialist firefighters and rescue staff from 14 fire and rescue services across the UK.
