A Greek couple with dual Greek and Turkish citizenship was found dead under rubble by rescue workers in Antakya (Antioch), in quake-stricken southeast Turkey on Friday, Greek national broadcaster ERT announced on Saturday (Greece time).
The couple was declared missing following the earthquake that also hit Syria, according to a statement published by Greek diplomatic sources on Thursday.
The Greek embassy in Ankara had been informed by the couple’s relatives that they were missing, and had in turn informed local authorities and rescue teams.
A rescue team first found the body of the man under tons of rubble where once stood an apartment building, followed by the discovery of the woman’s body a short while later.
Antakya has suffered extensive damage, while international rescue teams are trying to locate and rescue people from the debris of collapsed buildings.
Following the news, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou praised the efforts of Greek rescuers in earthquake-stricken Turkey in a social media post on Saturday.
“These past few days, shocked by the unspeakable drama unfolding in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, with the thousands of dead, we feel deeply moved by the battle fought by Greek rescuers, a battle of life against death,” she wrote.
“In defiance of potential aftershocks or further collapse of ruined buildings, brave in the face of danger, the men of the Special Disaster Response Unit (EMAK) remind us -by actions rather than words- that the awareness of another person’s pain supersedes the boundaries between people, and sets aside differences between states -no matter how serious- in the name of solidarity and compassion,” she continued.
“The heroes of EMAK, who struggle among the ruins, win the admiration of the entire world and make us proud,” she concluded.
