Saudi citizen found dead under rubble in Turkey’s Antakya, identified by daughters

A Saudi citizen who died in the earthquake in Turkey has been recovered from under the debris and identified by her daughters ahead of her burial.

Muhammad al-Harbi, chargé d’affaires at the Saudi embassy in Ankara, said that a secure visit to the site of the rubble in Antakya was arranged with the three daughters of the then-missing Saudi woman.The search and rescue kicked off after the embassy received a call from the deceased woman’s family in Saudi Arabia concerned about her whereabouts.

The unnamed victim’s body was found under the building where she is thought to have stayed. It had completely collapsed, Al Arabiya reported.

Al-Harbi said the Saudi embassy is working at full capacity and following up on the well-being of all the Kingdom’s citizens on the ground.

The local team established a gathering point in Adana, accessible by motor vehicle. At least 45 people were contacted and provided safe accomodation, al-Harbi added.

The death toll from the deadly natural disaster that also struck neighboring Syria surpassed 21,000 as of Friday morning.

Monday’s quake, followed hours later by a second one almost as powerful, toppled thousands of buildings including hospitals, schools and apartment blocks, injured tens of thousands, and left countless people homeless in Turkey and northern Syria.

Saudi Arabia has sent five aid flights to support victims of the earthquake, with food, medicine and search and rescue.