Rescuers smile as they carry a young survivor from the rubble of her home in Sakarya yesterday. Rescue workers tore at rubble with their bare hands in the hope of finding survivors. Photograph: Reuters
The Irish Government has made an initial grant of £200,000 in emergency humanitarian aid in response to the Turkish earth quake.
The money is being allocated to the International Federation for the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which has emergency relief operations in the area.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for overseas emergency aid, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said a "further response by Ireland" would be considered once needs assessments have been completed and more detailed information became available.
"With the death toll rising hourly and the numbers of injured increasing rapidly there is an urgent need for additional medical supplies. Temporary shelter provisions are also required for the thousands left homeless by this disaster. The grant announced today will go towards meeting these needs," said Ms O'Donnell.
Meanwhile, Mr Paul Lynch, secretary-general of the Irish Red Cross Society, said that aid was urgently needed for survivors.
"In the early stage of the relief operation, the first priority is to immediately provide adequate funds to the Turkish Red Crescent to enable it to purchase urgently needed relief items such as food, water, blankets and tents. All these supplies can be purchased locally," said Mr Lynch.
He said the Turkish Red Crescent had extensive experience of these types of disasters and had developed a wide ranging disaster "preparedness programme", which involved well-stocked emergency warehouses and trained volunteers. "This disaster has left tens of thousands of people in urgent need of emergency assistance," he added. He said the "deaths, damage and casualties" were likely to exceed the country's last major earthquake in 1992.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has expressed condolences on behalf of the Government and the people of Ireland to the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Bulent Ecevit, following the Turkish earthquake.
Mr Ahern said the tragic news of such a huge loss of life was being received with "the deepest sorrow and sympathy among the people of Ireland".
Donations can be made by post to: The Irish Red Cross Society, 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Credit card donations can be made by ringing 1850-507070. Lodgements can be made to Bank of Ireland, 2 College Green, Dublin 2, account number 16305917 (sort code 900017) or Allied Irish Banks, 1-3 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, account number 33627078 (sort code 931012).