Body of missing Indian found in Turkey’s Malatya

Body of an Indian national who had been reported missing in Turkey since the earthquake was found under the debris of a hotel in Malatya, the Indian Embassy in Ankara informed on Saturday.

Extending its condolences to the victim’s family, the embassy said it is making arrangements for the earlier possible transportation of his mortal remains to his family. The man, identified as Vijay Kumar, was on a business trip to Malatya and couldn’t be traced after the deadly earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.

His family members in Uttarakhand identified his body from a tattoo on Kumar’s left arm with photographs sent from the rescue site.

Also read: Turkey earthquake: One Indian missing, 10 others stuck but safe, says MEA

Malatya hotel

“We inform with sorrow that the mortal remains of Shri Vijay Kumar, an Indian national missing in Turkiye since February 6 earthquake, have been found and identified among the debris of a hotel in Malatya, where he was on a business trip,” the embassy said in a tweet.

“Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. We are making arrangements for the earliest possible transportation of his mortal remains to his family,” it added.

Vijay Kumar, a technician for a gas-plant company in Bengaluru, had gone to Turkey on January 25 and was staying at Avsar Hostel, Malatya. Kumar was deputed to Turkey for the installation and commissioning of an acetylene gas plant in Malatya.

Toll touching 25,000

The search and rescue teams have been pulling more bodies from the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by the catastrophic earthquake. The death toll from the earthquake that struck a sprawling border region of Turkey and Syria was approaching 25,000, according to Associated Press.

Meanwhile, on Friday, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in coordination with the Turkish Army rescued an 8-year-old girl from earthquake-hit Turkey. The girl was found alive under the rubble of a building in Nurdagi, Gaziantep in Turkey.

Also read: Turkey-Syria quake: Toll climbs to 24,000; 8.7 lakh in urgent need of food

“Hard work & motivation pays; NDRF team in co-ordination with Turkish Army successfully rescued another live victim (Girl aged 8Yrs) @1545hrs at Loc:Bahceli Evler Mahallesi, Nurdagi, Gaziantep, Turkiye,” the NDRF tweeted.

The NDRF tweet shared an image of the ongoing rescue operations in Turkey.

(With agency reports)