Turkey earthquake: Three Britons missing, says Foreign Office

Three British nationals are missing following the earthquake in Turkey in which more than 5,000 people have died, the foreign secretary has said.

In a statement to the Commons, James Cleverly said the Foreign Office was supporting some 35 British nationals directly affected by the incident.

He added: “The likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low.”

The UK government is sending a search and rescue team to Turkey to help in the race to find survivors.

The huge 7.8 magnitude quake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in the early hours of Monday, when most people were asleep in their homes.

Emergency workers are now desperately trying to save people trapped beneath rubble after thousands of buildings collapsed. The 5,000 death toll, across both Turkey and Syria, continues to rise, amid intense search and rescue operations.

Mr Cleverly told MPs: “As of this morning, we know that three British nationals are missing, and the Foreign Office’s Crisis Response Hub is working to support at least 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by these earthquakes.

“We assess that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low.”

Updating the Commons on the UK response, the foreign secretary said more than 6,000 buildings had collapsed during, or in the wake of, the earthquake, and the electricity and gas infrastructure had been severely damaged.

“The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency and they are requesting international assistance on a scale that matches the enormity of the situation that they are facing,” he said.

The UK government is sending a team of 76 search and rescue specialists to Turkey to help with the massive international rescue effort. They were due to travel on Monday, but the team was delayed.

The group has four search dogs, equipment including seismic listening devices and concrete-cutting and breaking equipment, as well as a team of emergency medical personnel to assess survivors on the ground.

Mr Cleverly later said the government would increase funding to the White Helmets civil defence organisation in Syria, “to support their emergency response operations” across the north west of the country.

The White Helmets organisation was set up in 2014 during the civil war in Syria and is made up of volunteers that have helped with civilian evacuations and search and rescue operations after bombings.

Mr Cleverly told MPs the UK would also provide help in Syria through the International Medical Corps, Save the Children and UN agencies. He did not say how much extra money would be provided.

The civil war has further complicated the situation on the ground in Syria – the UK has little direct access to the north west where territorial control is largely divided between government, opposition groups and militias.

Many in the UK and Turkish community are in anguish over the fate of loved ones.

Cengiz Akarsu, from Country Durham, said his childhood friend remains missing following the quake and it would be a “miracle” if he was alive.

“He’s got two little kids,” he told BBC Radio Newcastle. “I called his brothers – they’re on the way but unfortunately the roads going into the city, they’ve been damaged, and then the bridge has collapsed on the roads, so they cannot pass through.

“We don’t want to believe he died, but when I’ve spoken to people who live in that area they say its more than a miracle if they come out of that.

“It is really, really bad.”

His brother has survived, despite a wall collapsing on him.

He added: “We are all grateful my family is fine, but the sad thing is, we just know there are a lot of people underneath collapsed buildings.”

Image caption,

Cengiz Akarsu’s brother lost his home in the disaster

Kitle Eikelberg, from Richmond, London, said some distant relatives had been killed in her home village Maksutusagi in southern Turkey,

“Distant relatives died, but none of my closer relatives – they managed to escape,” she said.

“All my close relatives are in the open or in their cars and no-one has come to the rescue in the villages,” she added.

“It is freezing temperatures, they have no power, no water, and their phone batteries are dying.”

She said she was “broken” by the “nightmare” situation.

Image caption,

Kitle Eikelberg lost distant relatives in the village she hails from in southern Turkey

Ali Topaloglu, from the Nottingham Turkish Community, told the BBC his family were among those directly affected, with some immediate family killed.

He said: “It’s shocking. I cannot find the words to describe the situation… it’s devastating news.”

Meanwhile, the British Turkish Association has praised communities across London for raising between £200,000 and £300,000, which has paid for 300 boxes of donated aid to be sent on a Turkish Airlines cargo plane from Heathrow.