The Philippine Embassy in Ankara on Friday confirmed that two Filipinos, who were earlier reported missing, died in the killer earthquake that hit Türkiye.
"The Embassy and Consulate General express their deepest condolences and are in coordination with the victims' families in both the Philippines and in Türkiye," it said in a statement.
The Embassy said the relief, rescue, and evacuation operation by the Philippine team is still being carried on.
It said that the team earlier evacuated ten Filipino families from the city of Antakya in Hatay province, one of the hardest-hit in a region.
"The families are currently being shuttled back to Ankra, Türkiye's capital, where they will be sheltered," the Embassy added.
It vowed that the Philippine team will continue to "exhaust all efforts to account for Filipinos in the affected region."
Meanwhile, the Embassy expressed grattitude for to the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contigent Team that the government has sent.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake jolted Türkiye and Syria on Monday, February 6.
As of Friday, February 10, Reuters reported that the death toll has surpassed 20,000 — over 17,000 in Turkey while more than 3,000 in Syria.
