Alex Trelinski
SPAIN is sending troops and drones from its Military Emergency Unit to help in the rescue effort following Monday’s Turkish earthquake disaster.
The 7.7 magnitude quake struck shortly at 4.17 am in Turkey’s southern and south-eastern regions.
A second 7.5 tremor hit over four hours later.
It’s the biggest earthquake disaster in Turkey since 1939 with 1,300 people reported dead on Monday lunchtime, as the death toll is expected to rise further as more bodies are pulled out of collapsed buildings.
Over 230 people have died in neighbouring Syria, with 600 people injured.
Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said that support will be flown to Malatya airport, which is the hub for all international aid.
The number of troops and drones sent has not been specified.
The Spanish government has expressed its condolences to the victims of the quakes in Turkey as well as Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Spain says it will supply additional aid and revealed that its embassies had not received any emergency calls for assistance from Spanish citizens in the region.
