KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — Amid a packed schedule spanning Turkiye and the United Kingdom (UK), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof was not spared from experiencing a tense moment while in Istanbul, when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the city earlier on Wednesday.
He revealed that the earthquake hit while he and his delegation were at the Istanbul Airport, preparing to depart for London to continue their official visit in the UK.
As a precaution, the group was promptly evacuated from the VIP terminal.
“The first tremor was quite strong, and about 15 minutes later, we were instructed to re-enter the building. However, shortly after, the second, though milder, tremor occurred, and we were once again asked to evacuate for approximately 10 minutes before being allowed back inside,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday, sharing images from the incident.
Fortunately, Fadillah confirmed that he and the Malaysian delegation safely arrived in London around 4pm local time.
Their UK visit follows a three-day official trip to Turkiye.
He also expressed gratitude to all who reached out with well wishes following news of the earthquake, which occurred at 12.49 pm local time in the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Istanbul’s Silivri district.
He is currently leading the Malaysian delegation at the International Energy Agency and UK Government-hosted Summit on the Future of Energy Security, taking place in London from April 24 to April 25.
— Bernama
