People in Turkish earthquake zone commemorate dead
Published: 03:04 PM,Apr 23,2023 | EDITED : 07:04 PM,Apr 23,2023
KAHRAMANMARAS: People across Turkiye marked the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Sunday by commemorating the victims of the devastating earthquakes that struck the Turkish-Syrian border region over two months ago.
At a cemetery near the quake-hit city of Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey, residents planted flowers on the graves of their relatives who died in the disaster and decorated children's graves with toys and sweets.
Six thousand graves have had to be dug at this site alone since the earthquakes in February, a cemetery worker said on Sunday.
On February 6, two strong earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6shook south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. In total, more than 57,000 people were killed in both countries and more than 2 million people were left homeless in Turkiye alone.
At the cemetery, one woman in tears said she had come to commemorate her relatives who had been killed - her parents and two of her sisters. A few steps away, another woman was praying at the grave of her daughter and 10-year-old granddaughter killed in the quake.
Turkish flags flew on many of the makeshift resting places framed by wooden slats. Verses from the Koran were recited over loudspeakers,and people repeatedly went down on their knees in front of the graves, sobbing.
Last week, a storm in the earthquake region damaged tents housing survivors, killing one person and injuring at least 50.
Looking ahead to Turkiye 's May 14 parliamentary and presidential elections, security arrangements would be made in the earthquake zone, without giving details. Voting will take place in schools as well as in freight containers, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said.
In Turkiye , the end of Ramadan coincides with a public holiday, the Children's Festival. — dpa
At a cemetery near the quake-hit city of Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey, residents planted flowers on the graves of their relatives who died in the disaster and decorated children's graves with toys and sweets.
Six thousand graves have had to be dug at this site alone since the earthquakes in February, a cemetery worker said on Sunday.
On February 6, two strong earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6shook south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. In total, more than 57,000 people were killed in both countries and more than 2 million people were left homeless in Turkiye alone.
At the cemetery, one woman in tears said she had come to commemorate her relatives who had been killed - her parents and two of her sisters. A few steps away, another woman was praying at the grave of her daughter and 10-year-old granddaughter killed in the quake.
Turkish flags flew on many of the makeshift resting places framed by wooden slats. Verses from the Koran were recited over loudspeakers,and people repeatedly went down on their knees in front of the graves, sobbing.
Last week, a storm in the earthquake region damaged tents housing survivors, killing one person and injuring at least 50.
Looking ahead to Turkiye 's May 14 parliamentary and presidential elections, security arrangements would be made in the earthquake zone, without giving details. Voting will take place in schools as well as in freight containers, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said.
In Turkiye , the end of Ramadan coincides with a public holiday, the Children's Festival. — dpa