BY DELISA THWALA AND PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE– Safe and secure!
These are emaSwati students studying in the Republic of Turkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic- following the deadly earthquake which has taken the lives of over 2 300people.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Thuli Dladla said currently, local students in the above-mentioned countries were still accounted for, stating that they would reveal if there were changes.
In the meantime, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini has expressed its heartfelt message to the people of the Republic of Turkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic.
In their statement, the Government further passed their condolences to neighboring countries following the deadly earthquake that has resulted in the loss of over 2 300 lives.
“The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini expresses its heartfelt condolences to the people of the Republic of Turkiye, the Syrian Arab Republic, and neighboring countries following the deadly earthquake that has resulted in the loss of over 2 300 lives. May they be comforted during this time of mourning,” read the full statement from the government, posted on their social media platform Facebook.
Meanwhile morning reports from CNN revealed that more than 4 300 people have died and rescuers are racing to pull survivors from beneath the rubble after a devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, leaving destruction and debris on each side of the border.
One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in a century shook residents from their beds at around 4 a.m. on Monday, sending tremors as far away as Lebanon and Israel.
In Turkey, at least 2 921 people were killed and more than 15 800 others injured, according to Turkey’s head of disaster services, Yunus Sezer.
In neighboring Syria, at least 1 451 people have died. According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, 711 people have died across government-controlled areas, mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, and Tartus.
The ‘White Helmets’ group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 740 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.
