'Our hearts are with you': Community secures charter flight to send donations to earthquake disaster zones
Melbourne's determined Turkish community has secured a charter flight to send truckloads of donations to earthquake disaster zones.
Volunteers have been working through the night to organise the donations, which include sleeping bags, tents and blankets.
The quake is already among the world's deadliest this century, with the death toll surpassing 17,000.
READ MORE: 'Best person in the world': Brother of Sydney man found dead after Turkey earthquake speaks
Melbourne's determined Turkish community has secured a charter flight for truck-loads of donations to be sent to earthquake disaster zones. Nine
Bea Tercan, a volunteer, said she hoped the donations would bring a small amount of relief amid temperatures nearing freezing in Turkey and Syria.
"You have our hearts. We are with you, we might be thousands of kilometres away but our heart is with you," she said.
Another volunteer, Nilufer Kurtuldu said she had been completely overwhelmed with the efforts of the Turkish community in Melbourne's north.
"It's been overwhelming the support we have been getting from everyone from every community," she said.
"We do need to emphasise it has been solely community based."
A woman sits on the rubble as emergency rescue teams search for people under the remains of destroyed buildings in Nurdagi town on the outskirts of Osmaniye city southern Turkey. AP
The Victorian government confirmed it would contribute $1 million to humanitarian relief efforts on the ground to provide immediate shelter and food items to those who have been injured and evacuated in the disaster.
Public buildings in Melbourne's CBD will be lit up in white tomorrow night to show solidarity with the people of Turkey and Syria.
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