Koruma Opens Kırıkhan Factory to Earthquake Victims

Koruma Opens Kırıkhan Plant to Earthquake Victims Turkey, experiencing one of the century's greatest disasters, is working to bind its wounds in unity and solidarity. Koruma Şirketler Grubu, which operates a chemical plant in Kırıkhan District of Hatay—one of the provinces most affected by the earthquake—is mourning the lives lost in the disaster while simultaneously supporting ongoing search and rescue operations in Kırıkhan through search and rescue support teams, heavy machinery and cranes dispatched to the region. From the first hours of the earthquake, Koruma mobilized all available resources to dispatch aid trucks and teams to the region as quickly as possible. The company opened its Kırıkhan plant—which halted production due to natural gas and electricity cuts—to earthquake victims. The plant is meeting the shelter, heating, food, water, cleaning, hygiene and other needs of workers harmed by the earthquake, their relatives, families and local residents. In addition to containers, a tent city is being established on the factory grounds. To address the water shortage in the region, Koruma is distributing clean water via tankers using resources from its plant. Turkey woke to a dark day on the morning of 6 February 2023. Earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 centered in Kahramanmaraş caused massive destruction in 10 provinces. Having experienced one of the century's greatest disasters, the hearts of all Turks are beating in the earthquake zone. We mourn the lives we have lost, wish urgent recovery to the injured, and find hope in good news from those struggling for survival beneath the rubble. Our minds and hearts are with the citizens in the earthquake zone battling harsh weather conditions. Saying "today is a day of unity" and putting forth all they have, everyone contributing aid to the earthquake zone is rolling up their sleeves and working to bind the wounds of this great disaster. Koruma plant in Hatay's Kırıkhan provides shelter for nearly 1,500 earthquake victims Koruma Şirketler Grubu, which operates a chemical plant in Kırıkhan District of Hatay—one of the provinces where the earthquake struck most violently and caused severe destruction—is among the companies that have felt and lived through the pain of the disaster deeply. Koruma, which lost some of its employees in the earthquake, quickly organized from the first hours of the disaster and opened its plant—where production had been halted—to employees, their families, relatives and local residents. At Koruma's Kırıkhan plant, which is housing nearly 1,500 earthquake victims, containers including showers and toilets have been set up alongside a tent city being constructed on the factory grounds. Koruma has also taken action to construct wooden houses to provide temporary shelter. While the shock of the earthquake was being felt, Koruma reached basic necessities such as bread and water to the region on the first day and prepared hot meals. Meanwhile, the company continues to mobilize all available resources to send aid trucks from its Kocaeli headquarters to earthquake zones. Trucks carrying food, water, hygiene and cleaning products, medical supplies, winter clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, tents, beds, bunks, portable toilets, heaters, generators and other emergency supplies, as well as heavy machinery, cranes and containers continue to be dispatched to earthquake zones. Clean water is one of the most urgent needs in the region. Clean water obtained from water sources at the plant is being made available to local residents in Kırıkhan via tankers. Koruma Search and Rescue Support Teams from Kocaeli are also participating in search and rescue operations on the rubble in Kırıkhan, where the destruction is severe. Alongside heavy machinery and cranes deployed from the initial hours, generators for power supply are being used in the operations. Search and rescue teams working without interruption for hours to reach those trapped beneath the rubble find morale in dozens of citizens pulled from beneath the debris. Koruma Şirketler Grubu continues to closely monitor the earthquake zone to overcome difficulties together and bind the wounds of the disaster.