Turkiye residents taking food in turn (Instagram capture of ‘nusr_et’)Nusret Gökche (39), a famous chef from Turkey, provides relief food to residents in earthquake-affected areas every day, giving a calming impression.
On the 13th (local time), Gökche, who is currently staying in Turkiye, posted a video of a food truck on his social media and said, “We are serving hot meals to 5,000 people every day.” “It is the most important and meaningful service in the world,” he added. “We will become stronger. Please pray for Türkiye.”
Gokche earned the nickname ‘Salt Bae’ for his performance of salting raw meat with his usual flamboyant hand movements. Based on his social media fame, he runs his own steak restaurants in Istanbul, New York, Dubai and London.
Turkiye residents lined up to receive food (Instagram ‘nusr_et’ capture)With such high popularity, he sent food trucks to areas suffering from earthquake damage. The day before, a trailer converted into a movable kitchen was posted on social media showing it moving out of the garage, foreshadowing a massive relief effort.
The name of the group was written in large letters next to the trailer. In the video of the day, residents wearing blankets lined up to receive steaming rice and soup on a dark night. Volunteers busy preparing food in the truck kitchen were also introduced.
It did not disclose exactly where the government was conducting relief efforts, but it is estimated to be the southeastern part of Turkiye, where a 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred on the 6th.
A week after the quake, survivors are still hovering around collapsed buildings, waiting for family and friends trapped in the rubble to be rescued. Food and supplies are sorely lacking, and sub-zero weather continues, so there are concerns about ‘secondary damage’ after the earthquake.
The Turkish Disaster Authority said at least 32,000 local firefighters and volunteers, including 8,294 rescuers dispatched from overseas, are currently conducting search operations in the earthquake-stricken areas.
The official death toll as of today was 35,217. 31,643 people died in Turkey and 4,574 people in Syria. The number of deaths is expected to rise as heavy equipment is used to recover the wreckage of the building.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.