The earthquake struck at 4.17am, while everyone was sleeping, the central clock in Adiyaman froze at that time. 10,000 people lost their lives in this city alone. The earthquake was immediately followed by a snow storm, hampering the rescuers.
Most of the buildings are modern seven floor apartment blocks, but the earthquake was so powerful, one of the strongest ever recorded, that no one is able to live safely in Adiyaman at this point in time. A terrible situation.
The emergency services came from all over Turkey to assist. Each police station had to send 3 officers. The sports stadium was taken over as a base for all these services. Massive tents were erected, truck loads of water, blankets, food flooded in, generators for heating as at night it’s -5 degree in temperature. Temporary housing was built on the flat spaces, away from buildings in case of another earthquake.
700 policemen and soldiers are sleeping in the stadium, so we were asked to cook for 2,500 people breakfast, lunch and dinner, for emergency services and refugees.
Arjuna Prabhu the project manager sat with the mayor and council at a meeting. They were surprised that we only cook vegetarian, and were impressed that we had driven such a long way to help. Arjuna Prabhu than explained we were Hare Krishna monks, Turkey is a orthodox Muslin country, the word Hare Krishna echoed around the meeting room, then everyone smiled and there was joyful approval. Let’s feed everyone, Inshallah “if God wills.”
In Turkey we preach by actions rather than words. There are three times in the Mahabharata where we are told that ” example is better than precept.”
A biblical task lay ahead but there are lots of volunteers ready to help out.
The Turkish people are very religious, very friendly and deserve great respect. Mashallah!
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