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Foreign Minister sends condolences to Turkey, Greece over earthquake

Mariyam Malsa
31 October 2020, MVT 20:07
People works on a collapsed house in an earthquake-hit area of Izmir, on October 30, 2020 after major 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of western Turkey. - The USGS said the quake was registered 14 kilometres (8.6 miles) off the Greek town of Neon Karlovasion on the Aegean Sea island of Samos. (Photo by Handout / Demiroren News Agency (DHA) / AFP) /
Mariyam Malsa
31 October 2020, MVT 20:07

Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, on Friday, sent separate messages of condolence to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Greek Foreign Minister Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias, following an earthquake in the region.

Minister Shahid stated that he was "deeply saddened by the news of the loss of lives, injuries, and damage to property" in the island of Samos in Greece and the Turkish resort city of Izmir following the quake and the resultant tsunamis in the Aegean Sea.

"In this time of national tragedy, the people and the government of Maldives join me in extending our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, and those directly and indirectly affected by this calamity".

Furthermore, the foreign minister expressed hope that rescue and recovery operations would proceed smoothly in both countries.

According to BBC the number of fatalities has now reached 28, with over 800 injured.

As per the US Geological Survey, the 7.0 magnitude quake was recorded 14 kilometres from the Greek town of Karlovasi in Samos.

The Turkish government's disaster agency reported a lower magnitude of 6.6 for the quake while Greece's seismological agency said it measured 6.7.

Greece and Turkey are both situated within one of the world's most active earthquake zones.

In 1999, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake killed over 7,000 people in northwest Turkey, including 1,000 fatalities in Istanbul. Another earthquake in the southeastern province of Van caused more than 600 deaths in 2011.

In Greece, the last deadly quake killed two people on the island of Kos, near Samos, in July 2017.

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