Number of displaced Nigerians unknown, says group

The Nigerian Community in Turkey, on Tuesday, said it had yet to ascertain the number of Nigerians affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which rocked the transcontinental country on Monday.

The earthquake, according to reports, brought down whole apartment blocks in Turkish cities and plied more devastation on millions of Syrians displaced by years of war.

The earthquake has so far claimed thousands of lives.

Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, the Financial Secretary of the community, Taofik Amuni, noted that the community was still awaiting the total number of Nigerians displaced by the incident.

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Though Amuni stated that no Nigerian has lost their life, he has yet to ascertain the number displaced as of 9:00a.m West African Time.

He said, “The incidence happened yesterday and no Nigerian has lost their life. We are yet to, however, ascertain the number of Nigerians who might have been displaced.

“From the news we gathered, just one Ghanaian footballer was said to have been missing with his Turkish friend. For now we are just hearing figures of people who have died in the earthquake and the injured one also the ones that are still in the wreckage.”

Also speaking with our correspondent, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students, Turkish zone, Yakubu Sabo, confirmed to our correspondent some Nigerian students were taken in by the Turkish officials for post-shock analysis.

“Turkey is an earthquake prone area. Some of our new students were traumatised and have been taken in for post-shock analysis. They will be released as soon as they are certified okay. The old students are already used to it. We will provide more updates along the line”.

According to The Time, earthquakes are not uncommon in Turkey. The country is situated on the Anatolian plate which borders two major fault lines; the North Anatolian fault, which stretches across the country from west to east, and the East Anatolian fault, which is in eastern Turkey.

The former has been the site of several disastrous earthquakes, according to the Geological Society of London, including the 1939 earthquake in north-eastern Turkey that resulted in the deaths of 30,000 people.