1. Kahramanmaras Province first hit by 7.4 magnitude earth quake at 4.17 am. And lasted for 40 seconds. It was also felt in Ankara.
2. Then 02 quakes of 6.4 and 6.5 hits Gaziantep. (however, US Geological Survey has higher magnitudes).
3. After these several more earthquakes (above 4 in Richter Scale) has occurred according to US Geological Survey have been recorded in close by areas and close to the Turkish border.
4. The following Provinces are declared as impacted much - Malatya, Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Antakya/Hatay, Mersin, Gaziantep, Batman, Erzincan, Bingol, Adana, Kahramanmaras, Kayseri, Kilis Provinces. A map is at Annex 1. Out of these most severely affected are: Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Antakya/Hatay, Osmaniye, Adana, Adiyaman and Kilis.
5. Due to continuous snow fall task of rescue workers are difficult.
6. Currently at 1900 hrs. official death toll is 1540, injured 9733 and 2834 buildings damaged.
7. In the areas around Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep and Adana there were 09 Sri Lankans and out of them 08 are recorded as safe.
8. The 09th person, is a female and the Embassy is in touch with her daughter and a friend. She has been in a building that has collapsed, but later it was thought that all in the building has come out; then there was information that her mobile phone was discovered. The Embassy has reached out to ASAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Agency under the Turkish Presidency) to assist in this regard.
9. The last Province added to the list is Kayseri, where a tremor of magnitude of 3 occurred; then a second one happed at 12:32 with a magnitude of 3.2.
10. All 05 Sri Lankans in Kayseri are safe.
11. The Embassy is checking on Sri Lankans who are in nearby areas as well.
12. Meanwhile in the morning in Hatay, a natural gas pipeline had burst and a huge fire has occurred. But the government took immediate steps by stopping the gas flow and extinguished the fire.
13. At 13:24 hrs. another earthquake occurred in Kahramanmaras with a magnitude of 7.5 (US Geological Survey) and it was also felt slightly in Ankara.
14. Another earthquake occurred at 13:35 hrs. of 5.8 magnitude in Malatya Province, then at 13:51 hrs. of 5.7 magnitude in the same Province, at 14:11 hrs. of 4.9 magnitude in Kahramanmaras again. Then at 15:02 hrs. of 6 magnitude in Central Turkiye (5 km NE of Goksun, which is close to Kahramanmaras). 18:33 hrs. 5.2 magnitude Celikhan in Central Turkiye (close to Malatya).
15. Today, 06/02/2023, until 1900 hrs. there had been 48 earthquakes/tremors recorded by US Geological Survey, above the magnitude of 4, since the first earthquake recoded at 0417 hrs. in Kahramanmaras.
16. The link of the US Geological Survey to see the earthquakes that is occurring in Turkiye: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?currentFeatureId=us6000jlp9&extent=35.84453,34.10156&extent=38.82259,41.13281&baseLayer=terrain
17. In respecting the tragedy, the Embassy postponed the Diplomatic Reception to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Independence which was to be held this evening (06/02) at the residence, also 04 celebrations in Ankara, Izmir, Istanbul and Antalya in coming days (which included 02-day events with food festival, traditional SL dance performance, gem and jewellery exhibition and SL photo exhibition on biodiversity and climate change). 03 of the events were to be held in hotels of Anemon Group owned by our Hony. Consul for Izmir, Mr. Oguz Akcura. 03 of his hotels in the affected area are severely damaged and lives of staff lost.