Government response to earthquake has shortcomings, concedes Turkish president
Death count in Turkey-Syria crosses 15,000 as debris, weather hampers rescue work
Antakya: Turkish President Recep Tarrip Erdogan admitted on Wednesday to the government response to the disaster that has killed more than 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria having ‘shortcomings’.
Facing intense and growing criticism online to the way the Turkish government handled the situation after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region, Erdogan visited Kahramanmaras, which was not only one of the worst-hit spots but also the epicenter of the quake, reports NDTV.
The president acknowledged problems in the government response to the mishap. "Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It's not possible to be ready for a disaster like this," he said.
Rescuers have struggled to carry out the work amid not just the thousands of buildings that collapsed but also the freezing weather. The survivors, meanwhile, have been struggling to get food and shelter. They have also had to helplessly watch their relatives breathe their last after calling out for help from beneath the debris.
Expressing her pain, Semire Coban, a kindergarten teacher, in Turkey's Hatay, has said, "My nephew, my sister-in-law and her sister are in the ruins. There is no sign of life… We are trying to talk to them, but they are not responding... We are waiting for help. It has been 48 hours now.”
Officials and medical officers said that a total of 15,383 people had died – 12,391 in Turkey and at least 2,992 in Syria. Experts fear that the numbers will only rise sharply.
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Mandya district court receives bomb threat, turns out to be hoax
Mandya (Karnataka) (PTI): A bomb threat email sent to the judge of the Mandya district court here triggered panic on Thursday, prompting police to launch a search operation.
According to police, the district court received a bomb threat through an email earlier in the day, following which authorities immediately evacuated the premises.
Court proceedings were halted, and lawyers, judges, staff and litigants were asked to immediately vacate the premises.
Police teams, along with the bomb disposal squad and fire brigade personnel, rushed to the spot and launched a thorough inspection of the court premises.
Senior police officials, including Additional Superintendent of Police Gangadhar Swamy, were present at the scene and supervised the search operation.
Police later said the threat appeared to be a hoax.
Lawyers said a similar email threat was received on February 16 as well, and expressed concern over the recurrence of such incidents.
Police said an investigation has been launched to nab those behind such acts.
