Portugal is available to join the support team for the rescue of victims caused by this morning’s earthquake with its epicenter in Turkey and which hit parts of Syria, Interior Minister José Luís Carneiro announced on Monday.
“Currently, 11 countries have already mobilized resources to support Turkey, under the European Civil Protection Mechanism. We have also already made known our availability to the European Union to join this support team, namely in the rescue and in the emergency medical context,” he said.
At the entrance to the Day Ceremony of the National Republican Guard for Emergency Protection and Relief, taking place this morning in Coimbra, José Luís Carneiro stressed that the National Emergency Civil Protection Authority is in dialogue with European authorities to mobilize national support.
“In recent hours, the National Civil Protection Authority has been in contact with the authorities of the European Civil Protection Mechanism and, once these needs are identified, our immediate and full availability”he claimed.
The occasion also served for the official to leave a word “of sadness and solidarity to the Turkish authorities, namely to those in charge of the Embassy in Portugal”.
Marcelo mourns victims and sends message to Erdogan
The head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, this Monday lamented the victims of the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, for which he sent a message of solidarity to the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“The President of the Republic expresses regret to the victims of this morning’s earthquake as he has sent a message of solidarity to President Erdogan of Turkey,” reads a note released today.
This note published on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic on the Internet states that, “according to the information currently available, there seem to be no Portuguese casualties, neither in Turkey nor in Syria”.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, expressed his dismay at the victims and all those affected by the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria, and stressed that Portugal is supportive and available to help, in consultation with its partners.
“It was with dismay that I learned of the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and with all those affected by the disaster,” the leader of the Portuguese executive wrote in his account on the social network Twitter.
In his message, the Prime Minister then stressed that “Portugal is supportive and available to help, in consultation with our partners”.
Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Portuguese government expressed its full solidarity with the Turkish government and the Turkish people, deploring the consequences of the earthquake in Turkey, which also killed hundreds of people in Syria.
“We are shocked by the news that came in from Turkey this morning about the terrible earthquake. The Portuguese government expresses its total solidarity with the people and government of Turkey,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the social network Twitter.
An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale hit the border region between Turkey and Syria today. More than 1,500 people were killed in both countries (according to data at 11:30 a.m.), but the number of victims is increasing by the minute.
The earthquake struck at 04:17 (01:17 in Lisbon), 33 kilometers from the provincial capital of Gaziantep, in southeastern Turkey, at a depth of 17.9 kilometers.
Minutes after the first quake, another 6.7-degree earthquake on the Richter scale was recorded at a depth of 9.9 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
According to correspondents from the France-Presse agency, the tremors were also felt in Lebanon and Cyprus.
Source: DN
