Minister Says Indonesians Killed in Turkey Earthquake Rises to Four People

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi stated that the number of Indonesian citizens who became victims of the earthquake in Turkey had increased to four. Previously, it was reported that there were two people who died in the earthquake.

"There were four (victims) now; the first ones are a mother and her child, then just recently two people were found. Now the total number of Indonesian citizens who have died as a result of the (Turkish) earthquake is four," said Retno Marsudi when met at the Presidential Palace Complex , Jakarta, Monday, February 20, 2023.

The minister detailed that the first two victims who were found were mother and child. The two victims have been buried in Turkey because they died with the husband who are a Turkish citizen. Then the two new victims who were just currently found were later identified by the National Police's Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Team, their names are Irma Lestari (33) and Ni Wayan Supini (45).

Search efforts for Irma Lestari and Ni Wayan Supini have been going on since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey on February 6, 2023. The two bodies were finally found under the rubble of the Galeria Apartment Building in Dyarbakir City after being buried for about two weeks.

Retno Marsudi explained that the two bodies, who work as spa therapists, are being handled by the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara and are scheduled to be flown to Indonesia on February 22. "They are being taken care of. So we have been in contact with the families. The important thing is that we have communicated with the families, conveyed our condolences, conveyed their condition, then what the family wishes will be like, that will be handled," said the minister.

In addition, Retno Marsudi said that the Indonesian government would send more aid to the victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquakes on Tuesday, 21 February 2023, after the first aid was sent last week. "Regarding the details, we have to check it (...) But the point is that tomorrow there will be another departure of aid to both Turkey and Syria," she said at the State Palace, Monday, February 20, 2023.

Indonesia had sent a humanitarian aid for earthquake victims in Turkey from Halim Perdana Kusuma air base, on February 11. Two Boeing 737 aid aircraft carried joint personnel from BNPB, Basarnas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Defense, and the Hercules C-130 aircraft carried relief goods including Medium Urban SAR (MUSAR) logistics and Emergency Medical Team (EMT).

ANTARA | FAJAR PEBRIANTO

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