Three British nationals missing after Turkey earthquake kills 5,000 people, foreign secretary James Cleverly confirms
7 February 2023, 12:58 | Updated: 7 February 2023, 13:47
Three British nationals are missing following the huge earthquake which struck south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria, the Foreign Secretary has said.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "We know that three British nationals are missing and the Foreign Office's Crisis Response Hub is working to support the at least 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by these earthquakes.
"We assess that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low."
Emergency services have been working in temperatures of -4 searching for survivors of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which hit Turkey and Syria on Monday morning.
So far, at least 5,100 people have died across both countries, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) claiming figures could reach as high as 20,000 by the end of the week.
Read more: Earthquake death toll passes 5,000 as rescue efforts go on in Turkey and Syria
Mr Cleverly told MP's the Turkish government has requested international aid "on a scale that matches the enormity of the situation that they are facing".
He said: "Across the region inhabited by more than 12 million people, more than 6,000 buildings have collapsed. Electricity and gas infrastructure has been severely damaged.
"Many of the 3.5 million Syrian refugees hosted by Turkey reside in the affected provinces. Turkey's outstanding disaster relief response capability has been severely tested by the sheer scale of this catastrophe.
"The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency and they are requesting international assistance on a scale that matches the enormity of the situation that they are facing.
"Turkey will lead the disaster relief response in the areas of Syria where it has the presence."
