RIYADH: The sixth Saudi relief plane arrived at Gaziantep Airport in Turkiye, carrying 98 tons of relief aid, in implementation of the directives by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The aid provided by the Kingdom includes food and beverages, tents, blankets, rugs, shelter bags and medical supplies.
After the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria on Feb. 6, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center began operating an air bridge to assist those affected.
On Friday, the fourth and fifth planes, carrying rescue teams and equipment including tools, pumps and medical supplies, landed at the Gaziantep Airport in Turkiye.
The Saudi search and rescue teams came from the General Directorate of Civil Defense, the Saudi Red Crescent Authority and various volunteer groups.
HIGHLIGHT
A statement from the Saudi Embassy in Turkiye said that the body of a missing Saudi female was found under the rubble of a building in Antakya, where she lived. The deceased’s body was identified in the presence of a representative from the embassy and some of her family members, the statement noted.
The third cargo plane loaded with relief supplies from Saudi Arabia also arrived at Gaziantep Airport on Friday, carrying 104.6 tons of items including foodstuff, tents, blankets, rugs, shelter bags and medical supplies.
Samer Al-Jutaily, KSrelief’s official spokesman, reported live on Friday from Gaziantep, saying that “the city has been damaged along with other big cities such as Antakya and the surrounding areas.”
Al-Jutaily said that KSrelief’s medical and rescue volunteers, who arrived on Friday in Gaziantep, are receiving basic equipment that will help in extracting the victims from beneath the rubble.
“More than 10 people are trapped alive under the rubble and the volunteering teams are trying as much as possible to get these people out,” he reported. Another building is believed to have about 60 or more persons stuck under the wreckage.
Al-Jutaily spoke about the dire situation on the ground. “They desperately need your help, and together we will save these lives. With this gift from the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and from the Saudi people, we can make a difference in the lives of these people, and we will provide them with help and heal their wounds,” he said.
The first KSrelief plane landed at Adana Airport in Turkiye on Feb. 9.
Head of KSrelief’s emergency relief department Fahad Al-Osaimi said that the organization’s mission is to provide humanitarian aid and “direct support through rescue teams and medical teams,” as well as through projects that will be implemented “in all areas affected by the earthquake.”
Meanwhile, a statement from the Saudi Embassy in Turkiye said that the body of a missing Saudi female was found under the rubble of a building in Antakya, where she lived.
The deceased’s body was identified in the presence of a representative from the embassy and some of her family members, the statement noted.
