India ready to provide help to earthquake-affected in Turkey: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India is ready to provide all possible help to the earthquake-affected people in Turkey.

PM Modi was addressing the people at the India Energy Week 2023 event, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

While addressing the people, Modi said, "We are all looking at the destructive earthquake that hit Turkey. There are reports of the deaths of several people as well as damage. Damages are suspected even in countries near Turkey. The sympathies of the 140 crore people of India are with all earthquake-affected people."

"India is ready to provide all possible help to the earthquake-affected people," he added.

PM Modi unveiled the twin-cooktop model of the solar cooking system, developed by Indian Oil, at the India Energy Week 2023 event, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

At least 76 people have been killed across seven provinces in Turkey and 42 were reported dead in Syria in initial reports after a deadly earthquake struck 23 kilometres (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi in Turkey's Gaziantep province on Monday, Anadolu Agency reported citing disaster management authorities.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that "search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched" to the areas hit by the quake.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also tweeted and expressed grief over the loss of lives in the tragic earthquake that jolted both Turkey and Syria.

"Deeply distressed by the loss of lives and damage in the earthquake in Turkiye," he wrote on Twitter as he conveyed his support to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The US National Security Advisor also took to Twitter and assured Turkey of timely assistance for the quake-hit country to cope well.

He tweeted, "The U.S. is profoundly concerned by today's destructive earthquake in Turkiye & Syria. I have been in touch with Turkish officials to relay that we stand ready to provide any & all needed assistance. We will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye closely."

Multiple aftershocks followed the quake.