2 Filipinos killed in powerful Turkiye earthquake

Two Filipinos were killed in the Ankatya district of Hatay province in Turkiye following the deadly 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6, the Philippine Embassy in Turkiye confirmed Friday. The two Pinoys were previously reported as missing.

“It is with deepest regret that the Embassy must inform the public of the passing of two Filipinos, both earlier reported to be missing in Antakya,” the embassy said in a statement. “The Embassy and Consulate General express their deepest condolences and are in coordination with the victims’ families in both the Philippines and in Turkiye.”

Meanwhile, it confirmed that the Filipina earlier reported to have died in the same province was recovered alive.

As of Feb. 10, the embassy has evacuated more than 10 Filipino families in Antakya, one of the hardest-hit areas in southeast Turkiye.

The embassy has assured that its team on the ground would continue to account for Filipinos in the affected region.

The death toll in Turkiye and Syria has passed 20,000 people, making it the deadliest quake since the one that devastated Haiti in 2010.