International journalists tour Türkiye's Adiyaman earthquake site

Governor Varol briefs on damage, rebuilding efforts; journalists praise swift construction

Türkiye's Communications Directorate organized a tour to the earthquake-affected area in Adiyaman for 45 national and international journalists.  Governor Osman Varol provided information about the ongoing efforts in the city to the group of 33 foreign and 12 Turkish journalists.  Adiyaman was one of the 11 southern Turkish provinces struck by the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes. "We lost 8,387 of our citizens in Adiyaman, and I extend my condolences to them. When we look at the building stock of our province, we see that the total number of buildings is 115,067, and the number of independent buildings is 269,116 within these buildings." "In the earthquakes, 33,112 buildings in the city were determined as 'collapsed,' 'urgently to be demolished,' 'severely damaged,' and 'moderately damaged,'" he said. Italian journalist Giuseppe Didonna told Anadolu that they visited the houses constructed for the earthquake victims. Didonna said: "Hopefully, everyone will return to their normal lives as soon as possible. A pretty quick job has been done." "I came to the Indere region in September before; there was only the foundation. Now, the buildings are going up fast, and I am amazed; it's going very fast," he said. He added: "I congratulate those who contributed. Inside, there is every facility to meet the needs of the people."  More than 42,000 people died in the twin earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the country’s disaster management agency.