Buildings lay in ruins from earthquakes hitting Hatay, Turkey, in February 2023. AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — There have been no reports of Vietnamese casualties in the catastrophic earthquakes that have killed over 16,000 people in Turkey and Syria so far, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey and the Vietnamese Embassy in Iran concurrently accredited to Syria have urgently contacted the authorities of the two countries and the focal points of the Vietnamese communities in their respective communities in both countries to find information about possible Vietnamese citizens in distress, and to date, there has been no information about Vietnamese citizens hurt or killed in the disaster as search and rescue work is ongoing, deputy spokesperson for the foreign ministry Đoàn Khắc Việt said during the press briefing in Hà Nội on Thursday.

"Following the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey at the Vietnamese Embassy in Iran concurrently accredited to Syria will continue to closely follow the situation and be ready to implement measures to protect citizens if required," he noted.

He also expressed "profound condolences" to the governments and the peoples of Turkey and Syria, adding that leaders of the Party and State of Việt Nam have extended sympathies to the governments and the people of the two countries devastated by the disaster. 

Asked about possible support for the two countries as nations have started to announce relief, deputy spokesperson Việt said Việt Nam has strong and sound relations with Turkey and Syria, and "humanitarian assistance and aid will be actively considered." — VNS