Relatives rush to hospitals to find unidentified victims

ISTANBUL

Following the transfer of the deadly earthquakes’ survivors to Istanbul for treatment, some flocked to hospitals to search for their relatives, whose identity could not be determined as their ID cards were not on them.

Thousands of citizens lost their lives under the rubble after the devastating tremors of Feb. 6, while some were pulled out and sent to hospitals in various provinces, though the harsh cold has hampered search and rescue efforts.

The relatives of the earthquake victims rushed to the hospitals in Istanbul to find the people whose identity could not be determined and therefore families could not be informed.

“Citizens who are looking for their injured relatives can dial 184, the communication line of the Health Ministry or use the e-Nabız [e-Pulse, an application also run by the ministry] for their first-degree relatives, instead of going to the hospitals,” Istanbul Provincial Health Director Kemal Memişoğlu informed.

The injured and their relatives will be hosted in hotels and various facilities in Istanbul after they are discharged from the hospital under the coordination of the governor’s office, he added.