Australian yet to be confirmed as among earthquake dead

Cassandra Morgan | February 12, 2023

Authorities are still yet to confirm a Sydney man is among tens of thousands who have died in the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

The body of Can Pahali was reported to have been found in rubble earlier this week, but as of Saturday, his death was yet to be confirmed by his family or local authorities.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was providing consular assistance to his family and supporting about 80 Australians who were in the area impacted by the earthquake.

The death of another Australian woman, whose name has not been made public, and Melbourne grandfather Suat Bayram have been confirmed.

“Australian diplomatic missions in Ankara, Istanbul and Beirut are doing all they can in difficult circumstances to support families and reach out to Australians reported to be in the area,” a spokesperson for the department said on Saturday.

Vigils for earthquake victims were slated to be held on Sunday in Queensland at 7pm in Queen’s Park at Maryborough, and 1pm at HOTA’s main stage on the Gold Coast.

The Maryborough candlelight vigil was expected to include the reading of a message from the Turkish consulate, while the Gold Coast Turkish Society was hosting the HOTA vigil. 

The Sydney-based Lebanese Muslim Association was appealing for donations to support earthquake victims.

The death toll from the disaster continues to climb as more bodies are found, having surpassed 24,000.

The magnitude-7.8 quake struck the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras on Monday and also badly impacted parts of neighbouring Syria.