Houston Turkish community monitors relief efforts after devastating earthquake in their home country

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There is a large Turkish population in Houston, and many in that community are waiting for word from loved ones and family members after a devastating earthquake hit Turkey on Monday, just after 4 a.m., which is around 8 p.m. in Central Time.

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and Syria, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 2,300 people.


Turkish officials in Houston are closely monitoring the recovery efforts a world away and praying for the safety of everyone in their home country.

Since then, people here have been reaching out to family members and watching videos of the damage.

Most of the people ABC13 spoke with told us they have been in contact with relatives in the western part of Turkey, but the earthquake struck the eastern part of the country and news is hard to get from that area.

Orhan Osman, the President of the American Turkic Business Council and Texas Turkish American Chamber of Commerce, said homes were wiped out by this earthquake, and the search for survivors continues.

"Right now Turkey needs tremendous help, with those people and those areas like you know they lost their homes and pretty much everything all of a sudden you become homeless," Osman said.

There is a nationwide relief effort currently underway on behalf of Turkish Americans.

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