Rescuers Freed 100 People From Under Rubble Following Earthquake in Turkey - Authorities

IZMIR (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st October, 2020) Emergency services have taken 100 people out from under the rubble following a powerful earthquake in western Turkey, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said on Saturday.

"Approximately 5,000 rescuers are working in the disaster area, 17 buildings are destroyed, rescue works are being carried out in eight of them. One hundred of our citizens have been rescued from under debris after the earthquake," Kurum told journalists.

Meanwhile, 435 people have been hospitalized, according to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

"Currently, 435 people are receiving hospital treatment, 25 of them are in intensive care. A total of 364 people have received [medical] help on an outpatient basis," the minister said in a statement.

On Friday, a powerful earthquake hit western Turkey and the Greek islands in that part of the Aegean Sea. Turkish seismologists assessed the magnitude at 6.6, while their Greek counterparts said it reached 6.9. The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency reported 25 fatalities and 831 injuries.