Earthquake: Dhaka in touch with Ankara mission

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka is in touch with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Ankara though it is “less likely” that any Bangladesh citizen will be affected due to the earthquake considering its location, said a spokesperson on Monday.

“We are in touch with our mission,” MoFA spokesperson Seheli Sabrin said.

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,300 people.

Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area, reports AP.

On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy winter night, as buildings were flattened and strong aftershocks continued.